Episode Summaries

Yamato assumes his position as interim captain of Team Kakashi; however, conflicts arrive when Naruto opposes Sai's addition to the team, telling Sakura that Sai had attacked him while he was with Team 10 earlier on in the day. Sai explains that his actions were merely to test Naruto's power, to which he has deduced that Naruto is nothing but a mere weakling. Naruto takes offence at his words, and attempts to strike Sai, only to be held back by Sakura. Sakura berates Sai's actions, but Sai states that he likes everyone, including ugly girls like Sakura. This only infuriates Sakura, but she is held back by Yamato before she can attack him. Yamato tells the team that their mission is to apprehend Sasori's spy at the Tenchi Bridge in Kusagakure, and that the successful completion of their mission will lead to the assassination of Orochimaru and possible retrieval of former Team Kakashi member Sasuke Uchiha. With that, Yamato dismisses the team, telling them to gather their belongings and to meet him at the front gates in an hour.

Sai heads to his room, packing his gear, when he is attacked by a mysterious man. The man is revealed to be a member of the Anbu, who came to provide a secret report commissioned by their superior, Danzō Shimura. After noticing that Sai is taking a remnant of his childhood with him, the man tells Sai to remember that as members of Root, they are to have no feelings or emotion, as they are the invisible root, the foundation, that holds up the tree known as Konohagakure. With that, the man departs. Naruto and Sakura walk back to their homes, with Sakura remarking that Sai reminds her of Sasuke. Naruto dismisses her opinion, citing that Sasuke is a million times better than Sai could ever be. Sakura and Naruto then go to their respective homes to pack their gear. Naruto glances at the official team photo of Team 7 and renews his original vow to rescue Sasuke.

Meanwhile, Jiraiya arrives at the hospital to visit Kakashi. Giving Kakashi two volumes of Icha Icha, he states that he is also there to discuss something, although they must wait for Tsunade and Yamato. Although Kakashi does not recognise the name of Yamato, he is told by Jiraiya that it is a code name and that he would recognise the man when he saw him. Tsunade and Yamato soon arrive at the hospital; Yamato is briefed by Kakashi regarding Naruto's Version 1 form, in which the Nine-Tailed Fox's chakra would envelop Naruto, causing him to sprout a chakra tail and go berserk. Yamato is visibly stunned by this, and Kakashi explains that by using a Chakra-Suppressing Seal, he was able to stop Naruto at just two tails. Jiraiya, who was unaware that Naruto had activated the form in his last mission, becomes grim. Kakashi asks Jiraiya how many tails he himself had seen; taking off his shirt, Jiraiya tells them that he had only been close to death twice in his life. He explains that the first time was when he was caught peeking into a ladies' hot springs by Tsunade, at which the point Tsunade broke his arms and ribs and crushed his internal organs. Showing them a scar on his torso, he explains that the second time was when Naruto entered into a four-tailed version of the Nine-Tails' cloak. This visibly worries the group, due to the fact that Naruto is able to grow up to nine tails.

Ready to meet Yamato, Sai and Naruto, Sakura spots Tsunade and Shizune returning from the hospital. She asks if they could speak before she departs, and they convene in Tsunade's office. Tsunade asks Sakura to brief her regarding their initial encounter with Sai. Just then, Danzō enters the room, asking whether Tsunade has appointed an Anbu member on Team Kakashi. Tsunade tells him that Kakashi's replacement was a member of the Anbu from the Third Hokage's time; this prompts Danzō to state that he wishes that the replacement is not as passive or gentle as Sarutobi was, claiming that Sarutobi's gutless actions were unwarranted. As he leaves, Sakura asks who he is. Tsunade tells her that Danzō was a rival of her sensei, who also vied for the position of Hokage. She explains that unlike the Third's pacifist nature, Danzō is a hardened man of military mind, and that the two are polar opposites. While she herself does not trust Danzō, she tells Sakura that Danzō himself despises her for being the granddaughter of the First Hokage, whose teachings the Third passed on (thereby making him a passive fool in Danzō's eyes) and for being the student of the Third herself. Sakura then realises she's almost out of time and with Tsunade's blessing, she heads to the front gates to meet the rest of her team.

As the four members of Team Kakashi arrive at the gate, Yamato leads them on as they depart the village.