The Akatsuki Leader, Pain, begins his invasion of the Hidden Leaf Village. The Leaf ninja assemble to protect Naruto's whereabouts, but when Pain targets Iruka, Kakashi must face off against him.
Event Year: 2007
Surpassing the Master
Naruto succeeds in mastering his Sage Mode, taking it farther than even Jiraiya could. Things aren't looking so great for Konoha, however, as Pain prepares to make his move.
The First Challenge
After reading Jiraiya's first book, Naruto becomes more determined than ever to complete his training. Elsewhere, the angered Raikage plans to call all of the kage together for a meeting.
Decryption
The code Jiraiya left behind is finally deciphered, but what exactly does it mean? Meanwhile, Naruto continues his training.