Welcome to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, where deadly serious Ninja roam the landscape and the seriously mischievous Naruto Uzumaki causes trouble everywhere he goes. But when he steals the ancient scroll of sealing, he unleashes a rare power rarely seen in a 12-year-old boy!

Naruto and his fellow participants arrive at Forest of Death, the site of the second exam in the Chunin Test. The exam proctor Anko explains that the latest exam will be a survival game. To begin, each team will be given one of two types of scrolls. A team must get the possession of the other type of scroll by stealing it from another team and reach the goal point at the tower with both scrolls in hand. Teams will struggle fiercely over the control of scrolls, it is expected there will even be some fatalities in this test. As the exam begins, Anko offers only one piece of advice to the participants – “Don’t Get Killed!”

After Naruto’s trainer Ebisu gets knocked out, Naruto looks to Jiraiya, the Toad Mountain Sage, for guidance and training for the Final Rounds. But Jiraiya is more interested in conducting “research” for his next novel.

As the Village Hidden in the Leaves continues to deal with the death of the Third Hokage, a piece of Sasuke’s past returns to the village where he’s greeted with a not-so warm welcome.

Shikamaru is promoted to chunin, and he and his squadmates celebrate at a BBQ restaurant. In the hospital, Lee decides to undergo a dangerous surgery to repair his body so that he can remain a ninja. At the same time, Sasuke broods over Naruto getting stronger, while the evil hand of Orochimaru reaches toward him…

Sakura tries to sneak out of the village to find Sasuke, but Naruto intercepts her. Jiraiya appears and tells them that the Hokage has ordered them on a mission to the Land of Rice Paddies where Sasuke has been taken.

While Guy and Lee are away, two impostors dressed like them sneak into Hidden Leaf Village. Kakashi sees through their pitiful disguises immediately, but he leaves them alone after Tsunade decides that they wouldn’t fool anyone…anyone, that is, besides Naruto!

Choji, Hinata and Naruto set out on their mission to protect a group of merchants leaving the Land of Greens. During their journey, they see ominous black smoke rising from the direction of the Land of Greens. Soon after they are attacked by unidentified ninja!

On his way to collect some bamboo shoots necessary for making pickles, Naruto comes upon an injured youth who has lost his memory. Tsunade insists that it’s dangerous to have an unidentified stranger staying in the village. But Naruto is impressed by the young man’s kindness and insists on allowing the boy to stay.