An older and stronger Naruto returns from his two and a half years of training with Jiraiya. When he gets back he finds that many things have changed since he left. From Konohamaru becoming a Gennin and being under the supervision of Ebisu to Tsunade's, the Fifth Hokage, being added to the great stone faces. Now the tasks of starting things where they were left has begun. And what new danger does Jiraiya know about?

As Naruto gets back into the swing of things and meets back up with what is left of Team 7, Kakashi and Sakura, Jiraiya has something important to tell them. It seems a shinobi group known as Akatsuki is on the move. The things they are after are the tailed beasts like the one inside of Naruto, the Kyubi. Is Naruto prepared to defend himself from this group of Shinobi?

The bell test begins again while Tsunade, Jiraiya, and Shizune watch, but this time Kakashi is taking things seriously. So serious that he is using his Sharingan. Can Naruto and Sakura get the bells before the deadline? Meanwhile Gaara searches for the Akatsuki member that has invaded the village.

The bell test continues for Naruto and Sakura. Meanwhile Gaara discovers that the Akatsuki member, Deidara, has infiltrated the village. Now the battle begins between Gaara and Deidara. With Deidara after Shukaku which is sealed in Gaara, can the older and more powerful Gaara defeat this powerful foe?

Gaara and Deidara continue their fight with Gaara gaining the upper hand. Deidara then begins to attack the village and Gaara, the Kazekage, must protect it. Can Gaara defeat Deidara or is he playing right into his hands.

Deidara launches an attack on the village and Gaara must do his duty as Kazekage and protect it. However, Gaara's left himself wide open for an attack!

With Gaara captured and abducted, Kankuro goes after Deidara to get him back. However, his path is soon blocked by Sasori, whom doesn't plan on letting him pass.

With their leader abducted, the Hidden Sand Village requests assistance from Konoha. Tsunade sends Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi out to help. Worried about her little brother, Temari tags along as well.

As the group travels to Hidden Sand Village, Naruto realizes that Sakura doesn't know why Akatsuki are after Gaara and himself. Has the time finally come to tell her the truth?

With Kankuro injured, Chiyo and Ebizou make an appearance in order to save his life. They try everything, but it's all in vain and Kankuro's condition is progressively getting worse. Meanwhile, Sasori and Deidara arrive at the Akatsuki hideout and begin extracting Shukaku from Gaara using a mysterious technique.

Upon arriving at the Sand Village's medical center, Kakashi is attacked by an elderly woman. Who is this woman and why is she attacking Kakashi? Meanwhile, Sakura does an examination on Kankuro and figures out that he's in bad shape. Can she use what Tsunade taught her in order to save Kankuro's life?

When Pakkun discovers the whereabouts of the Akatsuki's hideout, Kakashi orders Pakkun to find Gai and his team and lead them to the position. Meanwhile, Kakashi and his group decide to head out with Temari and other sand ninjas, but Chiyo decides to go in her place. Will this old woman help or hinder the mission?

While Gai's group must fight against Kisame in order to proceed, Kakashi's group is cut off by another familiar face...Itachi Uchiha! Kakashi and Naruto team up and face the legendary ninja, but will even that be enough?

While Gai, Lee, Tenten and Neji continue their battle against Kisame, Naruto and Kakashi work together to fight Itachi. But when Itachi puts Naruto in a genjutsu spell, can Naruto find a way to break free?

The fights against Itachi and Kisame finally come to an end, but are these the real Itachi and Kisame?

As the group draws closer to Akatsuki's hideout, Chiyo reveals some startling information about the Jinchuuriki. Naruto becomes more determined than ever to rescue Gaara, but is it too late to save him?

The group has finally arrived at the Akatsuki hideout, but is it already too late to save Gaara?

Knowing that Akatsuki's lair is protected by a powerful barrier, Kakashi and Gai decide that the teams must work together to dismantle the barrier.

As Gai's team stays behind to fight a group of mysterious enemies, Kakashi's team enters the Akatsuki hideout, where Naruto makes an unhappy discovery.

Chiyo and Sakura team up to fight Sasori, but soon realize that if they get something even as small as scratch, it's all over. Can the two defeat this puppet master?

With his puppet destroyed, Sasori reveals himself to Chiyo and Sakura, looking no older than when he left his village twenty years ago. As a further bit of nostalgia, he produces a summoning scroll and calls forth the Third Kazekage, whom Sasori has made into a puppet. Using its weapons, which are even more dangerous than Hiruko's, Sasori is able to catch Sakura in a poison gas cloud. Meanwhile, Kankuro, Temari's team, and Ebizo make their way to the Akatsuki hideout.

Sakura manages to escape the poison gas cloud by using an explosive scroll on herself. Chiyo calls forth the "Mother" and "Father" puppets that Sasori created to fight him and the Third. They manage to hold down the Third for awhile until Sasori releases the Third's secret technique: Iron Sand. Meanwhile, Team Guy are having trouble fighting the clones and showing exhaustion from the battle. Naruto and Kakashi manage to avoid Deidara's clay bombs and keep up with him.

The Iron Sand stops both puppets from moving. Chiyo's right arm (which she had turned into a puppet) gets clogged and broken as well. Chiyo thinks back to the past and remembers how Sasori created and controled his first puppets, Father and Mother. Sakura urges Chiyo to use her again as her puppet. With Chiyo's help, Sakura avoids the columns formed by the Iron Sand to attack her.

Chiyo and Sakura must try and defeat Sasori's strongest puppet, the Third Kazekage.

Sakura has managed to destroy Sasori's strongest puppet, but he still has a few tricks up sleeve. And although Sakura's managed to avoid a fatal blow from the poison, she and Chiyo must defeat him in three minutes before the antidote wears off and they are vulnerable to Sasori's attacks. Can they defeat him in time?

Chiyo uses her abilities as a master puppeteer to allow her to control ten puppets at once against Sasori. However, Sasori has gone a step ahead, and gained the ability to control one hundred puppets at once! Can Chiyo defeat the man who took down an entire country?

It's the final stand against Sasori, and Chiyo reveals the flaw in Sasori's "immortality". As Sasori breathes his last breaths, he rewards the two kunoichi for his defeat by providing them some valuable information. In ten days, they will have the opportunity to meet with one of his spies who can provide them with information on Orochimaru, and Sasuke as well.

As Kakashi and Naruto chase after Deidara, and Sakura and Chiyo rest from their fight with Sasori, Gai and his team continue to fight their doppelgangers. Things aren't looking good for the four as the doppelgangers remain at the same strength while Gai's team grows weaker. Can they finish things up, or will it be the end of the line for them?

Kakashi unleashes his new Mangekyo Sharingan against Deidara, turning the tide of the battle in their favor, but when Naruto begins to act strangely, Kakashi sees him as the bigger threat.

Kakashi must act quickly to calm Naruto down before he releases too much of Kyubi's power. Meanwhile, Deidara is cornered by Gai's team, and when he realizes that he can't defeat them, he decides that the only way he'll die is he takes everyone else with him!

Gaara's body has finally been recovered, and Chiyo determines that there is only one way to save him. It's up to her and the entire village to prove to Gaara that he is loved, and Naruto shows Gaara that he does have a friend.

Now that Gaara's been revived, the Hidden Sand Village slowly begins to return to normal. It's time for the ninja of Konoha to take their leave, and Naruto shows Gaara how friends say goodbye. Meanwhile, a mysterious ninja tries to join Akatsuki.