• Air date: 19 May '04 48 episodes
      A powerful beast known as the Nine-Tails attacks Konoha, the hidden leaf village in the Land of Fire, one of the Five Great Shinobi Nations in the Ninja World. In response, the leader of Konoha at the time, the Fourth Hokage, seals the fox inside the body of the new born Naruto Uzumaki, making Naruto a host of the beast; During this process it cost the fourth Hokage his life, requiring the Third Hokage to return from retirement in order to become leader of Konoha again. As a child, Naruto is shunned by the Konoha community, who treat Naruto as if he were the Nine-Tails that attacked the village.
  • List of Episodes (48)
    • 26. An Invitation from the Sound

      17 Nov '04
      Sasuke takes on all four Sound Ninja, but soon learns it's going to take more than Chidori to defeat them!
    • 27. Formation! The Sasuke Retrieval Squad

      24 Nov '04
      Now that word of Sasuke's departure has spread to the Fifth Hokage, she calls upon the newest Chunin, Shikamaru, to put together a squad to bring Sasuke back to the village.
    • 28. Sound vs. Leaf

      24 Nov '04
      The Sound Ninja have Sasuke in their clutches and it's up to the Hidden Leaf Village's top Shinobi to stop them.
    • 29. Squad Mutiny: Everything Falls Apart!

      01 Dec '04
      As Shikamaru and the rest of the squad move in, Jirobo, one of the Sound Ninja, traps them within an Earth Dome Prison and sucks up their chakra!
    • 30. Full Throttle Power! Choji, Ablaze!

      08 Dec '04
      Upon breaking free from the Earth Dome Prison, The Sasuke Retrieval Squad realize they don't have enough chakra to take on Jirobo... but Choji's got another idea up his sleeve.
    • 31. Good-bye Old Friend...! I'll Always Believe in You!

      15 Dec '04
      With his life on the line against the Sound Ninja Jirobo, Choji looks back on the seeds of his friendship with Shikamaru. Can he defeat his fearsome opponent without any Chakra?
    • 32. Your Opponent Is Me!

      22 Dec '04
      Hot on Sasuke's trail, Shikamaru and his squad get caught up in a web of unparalled chakra when they tangle with the six-armed Kidomaru!
    • 33. 360 Degrees of Vision: The Byakugan's Blind Spot

      05 Jan '05
      While Naruto and the others go after Sasuke and the other Sound Ninja, Neji is locked in a desperate no-holds-barred battle with Kidomaru.
    • 34. Losing is Not an Option!

      05 Jan '05
      Neji's on the run from Kidomaru's bow and arrow attacks. Will Neji make it out alive or will his new-found enemy hit his blindspot dead on?
    • 35. The Vessel Arrives Too Late

      12 Jan '05
      In pursuit of the Sound Ninja, Naruto, Kiba and Shikamaru strike at dawn to retrieve Sasuke and bring him back to the Hidden Leaf Village.
    • 36. Miscalculation: A New Enemy Appears!

      19 Jan '05
      Naruto, Kiba and Shikamaru intercept Sasuke from the Sound Ninja Four, but little do they know that another ninja from the Sound Village has been dispatched to grab Sasuke as well.
    • 37. Roar and Howl! The Ultimate Tag-Team!

      02 Feb '05
      Faced against the vicious twin duo of Sakon and Ukon, Kiba and Akamaru team up to take them out, using their most powerful jutsu.
    • 38. To Each His Own Battle

      09 Feb '05
      With the Sasuke retrieval squad now split into individual battles, it's up to Naruto, Kiba and Shikamaru to stop the sound ninja. But little do they realize that there's more to their opponents than their basic techniques.
    • 39. Fakeout: Shikamaru's Comeback!

      16 Feb '05
      Shikamaru's got his hands full with Tayuya and her melodic attacks. Can he stop her and put an end to her malevolent flute playing?
    • 40. The Leaf's Handsome Devil!

      23 Feb '05
      Naruto's Shadow Clones are no match for Kimimaro's attacks. But when an old bushy-browed buddy from the Leaf Village shows up, all bets are off!
    • 41. The Beast Within

      02 Mar '05
      Rock Lee's back and he's full of a special medicine that has Kimimaro on the run! Can he take out the fifth Sound Ninja?
    • 42. The Sand Shinobi: Allies of the Leaf

      09 Mar '05
      Down for the count and at the mercy of the Sound Ninja, Kiba, Shikamaru and Rock Lee get help from an unlikely bunch of new allies.
    • 43. Showdown: Gaara vs. Kimimaro

      16 Mar '05
      Itching to fight and with a sense of guilt from the past, Gaara tells Rock Lee to stand down and let him take on Kimimaro. Meanwhile, Naruto continues on his quest to catch the runaway Sasuke.
    • 44. Vengeful Strike! The Bracken Dance!

      30 Mar '05
      As Gaara demonstrates he has more than enough backbone to take on Kimimaro, Orochimaru recollects on how he brought him as a young man into the Sound Village.
    • 45. A Cry on Deaf Ears

      30 Mar '05
      Finally catching up to Sasuke, Naruto does all he can to keep him from going to Orochimaru. Does he have enough strength to stop him or is Sasuke gone for good?
    • 46. Brothers: Distance Among the Uchihas

      06 Apr '05
      Naruto and Sasuke face off in battle as we get a glimpse into Sasuke's past where his achievements were ignored by his father and his brother Itachi's behavior began to take a turn for the worst.
    • 47. Father and Son, the Broken Crest

      13 Apr '05
      As Sasuke squares off against Naruto, he reflects on his past when he was neglected by both his stern father and Itachi, his brooding older brother.
    • 48. The Secrets of the Mangeky? Sharingan

      20 Apr '05
      While Naruto is busy underwater, Sasuke remembers the fateful day in which his clan was killed. He remembers why Itachi spared his life, and why Itachi did what what he did. Now, in order to gain the same power as his brother, he must kill his closest friend...Naruto!