Past Arc: The Locus of Konoha

The Konoha History Arc is the fourth filler arc from Part II of the series. This arc is shown as multiple flashbacks from different characters, such as Iruka remembering the time he first met Naruto and Kakashi remembering when he was appointed as leader of Team 7 from his perspective. The flashbacks all take place either during or prior Part I.

Summary
After Naruto defeated Pain, Iruka, along with Suzume and Daikoku Funeno approach the ruins of the Ninja Academy to salvage things for class. They split up and Iruka sees the destroyed academy, remembering his first teaching days. The Third Hokage appoints Iruka to be Naruto's teacher. At first he refuses but then accepts. The next day, Naruto pulls a prank on Iruka but instead of scolding him, Iruka tells Naruto sit in his seat, remembering the advice given to him from Daikoku. When seeing Naruto being bullied by the other students because of his failed attempts to be better than Sasuke, Iruka tells them not to bother a kid like him. The next day, Naruto learns that Sasuke is the only surviving member of the Uchiha Clan. After class, Naruto wants to join Hibachi and his friends in their "test of courage" though Hibachi tells him to not follow them. Naruto pranks them later in the night by dressing up as a fox demon. Hearing them say they saw a fox demon, Iruka runs to the Konoha grave site and learns it's Naruto. Naruto sees Iruka giving him the look everyone in the village gives him and runs away, never wanting to return to the Academy again. The day after, Iruka notices Naruto is absent in class. After being denied to be seen by the Third Hokage, Iruka sits in the park where he meets Kakashi and discusses his issues of being Naruto's teacher. Kakashi remembers when after his mission with him, Iruka decides to become an instructor at the Academy to pass the Will of Fire to the next generation.

Hibachi and his friends decide to let Naruto in their group if he would do their test of courage. Hibachi was told by his father that in the hills, there are corpses left by enemy ninja. Naruto agrees to get an item from a corpse in the hills. Hibachi tells his friends that there are still enemy ninja in the hills after Naruto left. When Iruka sees that Naruto is absent in class, Hibachi says he hasn't seen him, but Shikamaru Nara, having heard of his trick, tells Iruka who runs out the classroom to find Naruto. Remembering Suzume tellng him of the enemy ninja, Iruka tries to find Naruto before the enemy ninja find him. Elsewhere, Kakashi hears from Shikamaru and Chōji that Iruka went to look for Naruto in the hills.

Iruka finds Naruto and tries to get him to go back to the Academy but Naruto refuses and tells him that he doesn't understand him. Naruto gets away from Iruka by using the Sexy Technique and finds a kunai with a paper on it. Three enemy ninja approach Naruto, demanding that he gives them the kunai but he refuses, having them resort to get it by force. Naruto tries to surprsie them with the Sexy Technique but it has no effect on the ninja as they are women. Naruto escapes from them and runs into Iruka who tries to escape the kunoichi while at the same time protect Naruto. Both of them are saved by the arrival of Kakashi who easily defeats the kunoichi.

Iruka gives the Third Hokage the paper that was hidden on the kunai that Naruto found. Iruka then thanks the Third for making him Naruto's teacher which made him remember why he became a teacher. After class, Iruka tells Naruto from then on, he will be upfront with him. Iruka tells Naruto of the Will of Fire which makes the Third Hokage strong and protect everyone. Naruto decides that he will become Hokage someday so everyone would respect and look up to him and Iruka's flashback ends. When Naruto and Sakura go get water for the comatose Tsunade, Kakashi has a flashback of when he was appointed as the leader of Team 7. He watches Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura, seeing Naruto and Sasuke's constant competition and remembers what Minato and Obito said to him about teamwork and those abandoning their comrades are worse than scum. Meanwhile, Koharu and Homura discuss with Hiruzen of his decision of having Naruto outside the village and being put in the same team as Sasuke. Danzō listens in on their discussion and thinks Hiruzen put Naruto and Sasuke in the same team due to the Uchiha being able to control the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox with the Sharingan which he thinks is a good idea. After noticing Sakura depressed, Naruto tries to pick a fight with Sasuke though all his techniques are no use against Sasuke. Sasuke easily beats Naruto and the members of Team 7 decide to go meet their squad leader. Kakashi's flashback ends and decides that he will have to be the one to stop Sasuke's road of hatred. Naruto and Sakura meet up with Tazuna and Inari, who came to help rebuild the village. Naruto has a flashback that takes place after Team 7 finished their mission in the Land of Waves. Naruto remembers he had forgotten an Ichiraku Ramen Bar coupon at Inari's house and runs back to go get it. Tazuna finds the coupon and Inari decides to give it to Naruto. On his way, Inari runs into Akane and his friends who try to pick on him with Team 7 gone. Zōri and Waraji hear of this and kidnap the kids.

Naruto and Sasuke, who was ordered by Kakashi to bring back Naruto, learn from Tazuna that Inari had went to meet up with them. Meanwhile, the remanants of Gatō's thugs decide to take Gatō's place and hold Inari and the others for ransom. Naruto finds his coupon and also traces of a struggle. Sasuke also notice cuts on the trees from a sword which Naruto remembers it was from Gatō's two bodyguards. At the thugs's hideout, Inari and the others escape from the thugs. Inari decides to distract them while Akane and his friends escape. Inari is chased into a dead end by the thugs but jumps into the water. While swimming away, Naruto and Sasuke find Inari and pull him out of the river. The thugs find him and fight Naruto and Sasuke, who are no match against them. When the thugs were about to flee, the villagers surround them, forcing them to give up. Akane and his friends apologize to Inari for bullying him and they all become friends. Then Inari tells Naruto he left his coupon at his house so then Naruto checks his pocket and wonders why its missing, Sasuke then tells Naruto that it probably drifted while he was at the river pulling out Inari, much to his dismay. The flashback ends and Inari decides to make it up to Naruto by building a new better Ichiraku Ramen Bar. In another flashback of Naruto's, Team 7 are on a mission to take an ostrich called Mr. Ostrich to his home. They arrive at a village were they see a swordsman named Tsukado who has a vendetta to carry on a man named Katazu who killed his distant relative Shikazo. Tsukado fails to defeat him so Naruto decides to teach him unusual revenge lessons. When Mr. Ostrich is running wild and about to run over a little girl, Tsukado shows his hidden skills to stop him shocking Naruto. Tsukado can't seem to use his skills against Katazu as the look he gives him seems to drain him. The next day, a man named Kanabun and his gang bring Katazu to Tsukado who want to profit off their fight. Tsukado doesn't hold back and manages to get the upper hand though Naruto notices something is wrong. Naruto suddenly stops the fight, saying Katazu couldn't have killed Shikazo as he sword isn't sharpened and the look of his eyes. Katazu reveals that his twin brother, Kageki killed Shikazo but it was an accident. Kageki loaned him some money and after his child's birth, he needed money and asked Shikazo if he can be repaid. Shikazo refused and they begin fighting, resulting in Shikazo falling and hitting his head hard on a stone, killing him. Katazu has then took his brother's identity and attracted Shikazo's pursuers while Kageki and his family went into hiding.

Tsukado decides not to kill him and ends their years of fighting though Kanabun wants them to keep fighting. The swordsmen, Team 7 and Mr. Ostrich chase the Kanabun Gang out of town. While going back home, Naruto wonders if it ended alright and Kakashi says it depends on them, there the flashback ends.

At Sunagakure, Gaara, Kankurō and Temari learn of Akatsuki's invasion of Konoha. Kankurō wonders if they'll be able to rebuild though Gaara knows they will since they have Naruto and has a flashback. Team 7 are sent on a mission to stop a group of bandits located between Konoha and Suna, resulting in the two villages working together for the first time since Suna's invasion though Naruto is reluctant about it. They meet with a team from Suna who are lead by Gaara, shocking Team 7. Gaara introduces his subordinates, Yaoki and Korobi who are scared of Gaara's sand abilites. Kakashi notices a change in Gaara, noticing he is more mellow than he was before and longer has his bloodthristy lust.

Both Gaara and Kakashi decide to split up so they can simultaneously attack the bandit base from different sides located on mountain. But before they do, Gaara secretly informs Kakashi that he is be followed by another group from Suna and hopes he won't be a burden though Kakashi is completely fine with it as the more they overcome, the stronger both their village's bond will be. Hiding in the trees are a group of Suna ninja who plan on killing Gaara. When Gaara's team are heading to their direction, Gaara is ambushed by the group of ninja who uses techniques that prevents Gaara from using his sand. Gaara tells Yaoki and Korobi to flee as the ninja are only after him. Team 7 notice another group of Suna ninja who are watching them. When realizing they aim to kill Gaara, Naruto runs off to find Gaara while the rest of Team 7 fight the assassination squad.

Naruto finds Yaoki and Korobi and learns Gaara is danger. He asks them why abandoned their friend which leaves Yaoki and Korobi wondering if Gaara is their friend. Naruto rescues Gaara from assassination squad with with multiple shadow clones who fight them off with the help of Yaoki and Korobi who Gaara they're his friends. Gaara then easily takes out the rest of the ninja. Team 7 and Gaara's team continue and finish their mission and and they bid each other farewell. After Team 7 leaves, Gaara asks Yaoki and Korobi said to him and they happily say thy're his friends which brings a smile to Gaara. The flashbck ends and Gaara thanks Naruto for helping him form his first bond with Konoha.

Episodes