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.

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.

Episodes