Search for Tsunade and Sasuke's Defection
A village seeks a savior while a brother chases a friend into the shadows.
On one path lies hope: Jiraiya and Naruto hunt for a legendary medic who holds the village's future in her gambling-stained hands. On the other lies despair: a team of genin led by Shikamaru Nara races to stop Sasuke Uchiha, whose thirst for power drives him to Orochimaru.
Quick Facts
- Primary protagonists
- Naruto Uzumaki
- Jiraiya
- Kakashi Hatake
Lore & Background
With Konoha reeling from Orochimaru's invasion and the Third Hokage dead, the village is left defenseless. Jiraiya, who declines the title of Fifth Hokage, proposes Tsunade, one of the Sannin, who lost faith in the title after her boyfriend Dan Katō and her brother Nawaki died pursuing it. She is a compulsive gambler with terrible luck, and Orochimaru reaches her first: wanting her help, he offers to revive Dan and Nawaki. At the same time Sasuke Uchiha, convinced he cannot become strong enough to kill Itachi in Konoha, leaves the village to join Orochimaru.
Reader's Guide
The arc splits immediately following the Chunin Exams collapse. Jiraiya takes Naruto along on the search for Tsunade and teaches him the Rasengan on the way. She at first has no interest in the Hokage title. In the end she accepts the position of Fifth Hokage to protect Konohagakure on behalf of everyone she has loved. Meanwhile Orochimaru sends his Sound Four to fetch Sasuke, and Sasuke goes with them. A retrieval team of genin led by Shikamaru Nara, with Naruto Uzumaki, Neji Hyuga, Choji Akimichi and Kiba Inuzuka, goes after him; Rock Lee and the Sand siblings later come to its aid. The arc culminates at the Valley of the End, where Naruto confronts Sasuke in a final clash of Rasengan against Chidori.
More in Arcs & Timeline
Elsewhere in Naruto
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