Plot of Naruto: Shippūden

The plot of the second part of the manga and anime series Naruto, titled Naruto: in the anime and simply Part II in the manga, is set two and a half years after the present timeline in Part I. The new setting for the series began with volume 28 (chapter 245) of the manga. The anime adaptation of the manga started airing on February 15 2007, premiering with the first two episodes debuting in a one-hour special. Viz is working on a North American DVD series of Naruto Shippūden, which is planned for release on September 29, 2009. The US publication of the manga began in January 2008, in the US issue of Shonen Jump.

The new story revolves mainly around Naruto Uzumaki and Sakura Haruno's new adventures, and their search for Sasuke Uchiha after he defected from Konoha in order to gain Orochimaru's power. The plot later involves new major characters, such as Sai and Yamato. The plot also shows a more active Akatsuki in their quest to obtain all the tailed beasts.

Five Kage Summit arc

 * This arc starts from chapter 450. to current

New Orders
Kakashi found Naruto and returned him to Konoha, where all the villagers and ninja had gathered to congratulate Naruto on his victory. Team Samui had finally reached Konoha. Tsunade was now in a comatose state, and was unresponsive, and, as such, a new Hokage was to be elected. In the meeting to decide who the next Hokage would be, Shikaku nominated Kakashi, much to Danzo's annoyance. Danzo then said that all the previous Hokages had, in some way, destroyed the village. The Fire Daimyo then elected Danzo as the acting Sixth Hokage.

Meanwhile, Team Kakashi met with the employers of their first major assignment, Tazuna and Inari, who had agreed to help rebuild Konoha. Elsewhere, Sai was assigned by Danzo to keep an eye on Naruto, and to report his actions and movements back to him. While Team Kakashi and Tazuna discussed Sasuke, and Naruto promised his friends that he would someday bring Sasuke home. However, moments later they were made aware of the new order to eliminate Sasuke as a missing-nin. Upon returning, Sai remarked that he was unable to reveal Danzo's reasoning because of cursed seal given to all Root members.

Overhearing information about Sasuke, the two members of Team Samui, Omoi and Karui, attacked Team Kakashi in order to gain information about Sasuke and Akatsuki. Knowing Akatsuki's goals, Naruto offered his support in finding Killer Bee and rescuing him before the extraction. They took Naruto to a secluded area, unknownst to them being followed by Sai, and interrogated Naruto. Naruto, however, due to the lessons he had learned from Pain, offered himself to be beaten to relieve Karui of the pain she felt. After a thorough beating, Sai stepped in to protect Naruto. Omoi himself stated that no matter what Karui did to him, he would not betray Sasuke. Samui found them and informed them that they would be going to the Raikage to give him their report.

Taken for medical care, Naruto told Kakashi, Yamato, and Sai his intentions to leave the village and find the Raikage, and to ask for a pardon for Sasuke. Yamato reminded him, however, that, without the First Hokage's Necklace, the already weak seal shouldn't be strained, and, as he had been assigned to help rebuild the village, couldn't be there to seal the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox if something should happen. Naruto told them that his father had told him about the one in the mask, who was controlling the members of Akatsuki, and who was responsible for the attack on Konoha, and how he was so strong that Minato couldn't defeat him. When pressed for anything else the Fourth had told Naruto, Naruto told them that his father had said how he believed in him, which was enough to convince Kakashi that Yamato and himself should accompany Naruto to the Raikage.

Taka's Move
Taka, after abandoning Akatsuki after the completion of their goal to capture the Eight-Tailed Giant Ox, were stopped by Madara Uchiha, who was angered at Taka's failure of catching the Eight-Tails and at their betrayal of Akatsuki. When Sasuke attempted to fight his way through, Madara said that he would fight Sasuke, and then calmly told him that Konoha had already been destroyed by Pain. He gave Taka a new assignment: to kill the new Hokage, Danzo, who was on his way to the Kage Summit. After they had agreed to the new assignment, Madara had Zetsu divide himself in order to lead Taka to the Summit.

Madara told the other side of Zetsu that Pain's defeat was a hindrance to his plans, and that Outer Path: Samsara of Heavenly Life Technique was supposed to be used on him. He also said that, if Sasuke couldn't be controlled properly, then he was of no use to him. He announced that it was time for him to step out of the shadows and to commence with his.

The Kage Summit
Gaara, the Kazekage of Sunagakure, Onoki the Tsuchikage of Iwagakure, and the Fifth Mizukage of Kirigakure departed from their villages with two guards each, as requested by the Raikage, to the location of the Summit.

Danzo ordered Root members Dajimu and Terai to continue watching Anko, and to find Kabuto before she did so that she didn't discover any experimental data Orochimaru had had about his right arm and eye. He also ordered members Fu and Torune to act as his bodyguards for the journey to the summit. On their way to the meeting, Danzo was attacked by two assailants, leading him to remove the bandages over his eye to reveal a bloodshot Sharingan. Danzo quickly dispatched of the seventeen Hanya assassins from the Land of the Wood and continued toward the meeting.

Back in Konoha, Yamato planted tracking devices on Team Samui, Naruto said his goodbyes to Konohamaru, and Kakashi put two Foundation members under genjutsu. He then told Sai to report to Danzo that Naruto had not left Konoha. Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato left for the meeting to plead to the Raikage.

While Naruto, Kakashi, and Yamato were able to catch up to the Raikage in the Land of Iron, where the summit was taking place, he ignored Naruto's pleas to call off the hunt for Sasuke and scolded Naruto for being weak and begging so easily. He then continued to the meeting of the five Kage, where Mifune, the leader of the Land of Iron, started the meeting while each Kage's bodyguards looked on.

As the five Kage quickly began to argue due to the differences in their ideologies, Danzo's mention of Killer Bee sent Raikage into a rage. Smashing his fist into the floor in anger, the Raikage quickly had to be protected by his own bodyguards, who stopped those of the other Kage before they could stop the Raikage by force. This quick scuffle briefly revealed Kankuro's new puppet, which mysteriously resembles Sasori, and that Temari now summons her fan with a scroll instead of always carrying it around with her.

After Raikage was calmed, he explained that Akatsuki was not only made up of missing-nin from every village but his, but the villages had also used Akatsuki for their own purposes: the Fourth Kazekage attempted to use Akatsuki to destroy Konoha, the Tsuchikage hired Akatsuki as a mercenary force to prevent inexperienced ninja from Iwagakure being sent into battle themselves, and Mizukage admitted that the Fourth Mizukage and the Three-Tails' Jinchūriki, Yagura, may have been manipulated by Akatsuki.

Stopping further argument between the Kage, Danzo told them that Akatsuki's leader was almost certainly Madara Uchiha. In light of this information, Mifune suggested that a five-country alliance be formed to eliminate the threat of Akatsuki. When questioned about who would lead such an alliance, Mifune stated that he would decide due to being the leader of the neutral country. Since the only country left with its host was the Land of Fire, Mifune decided the Hokage, Danzo, would lead. However, it seems that the Raikage and Tsuchikage plan to oppose this decision.

Mifune states the flaws of all the other Kages and why they could not lead. Ao, however, finds something unusual in the midst of the summit and reveals byakugan under his eye patch. He immediatly sees that Danzo has two different chakra colors, one belonging to him, and the other belonging to Uchiha Shisui. Ao quickly interupts the Summit and reveals that Danzo had taken Shisui's sharingan and that Shisui had the ability to manipulate other people's minds. He then accuses Danzo of controlling Mifune's mind. Suddenly, Zetsu's white-half appeared in the middle of the Summit ground and informed the Kages that Sasuke was near.

Fire Temple arc
The Fire Temple arc, referred to as the chapter of the Twelve Guardian Ninja by the DVDS, is an anime-only arc which takes place between the Sasuke and Sai arc and the Hidan and Kakuzu arc. The arc details events surrounding Sora, a boy who had some of the Nine-tails' chakra sealed in him when he was a baby, along with some backstory of the Twelve Guardian Ninja.

Three-Tails Arrival arc
The Three-Tails Arrival arc, referred to as the chapter of the Three-Tailed Demon Turtle by the DVDs, was an anime-only arc which takes place between the Hidan and Kakuzu arc and the Hunt for Itachi arc. The arc details the events surrounding the attempted capture of the Three-Tailed Giant Turtle by Orochimaru and Konoha before its eventual capture by Akatsuki as well as the story of the Crystal Style user Guren and Yūkimaru, a boy with the power to control the Three-Tails.