The Best Episodes of Naruto Shippūden Season 1

A figure passes through the gates. It's an older Naruto, who has returned from a long training journey with Jiraiya. Naruto Uzumaki is back!

Director: Masaaki Kumagai

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Naruto and Sakura team up and challenge Kakashi to a survival challenge to show off their progress.

Director: Atsushi Nigorikawa

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Naruto’s and Sakura’s combined skills force Kakashi to use his Sharingan right off the bat. Naruto masterfully unleashes his jutsu one after another.

Director: Yuki Sugihara

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Gaara is quick to detect Deidara’s presence, and an aerial battle ensues with Deidara on his giant bird and Gaara atop sand.

Director: Kiyomu Fukuda

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Naruto and Sakura defeat Kakashi in the survival challenge. Tsunade assigns them to a three-man squad led by Kakashi, who tells them they are now his equals.

Director: Yuki Kinoshita

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

In order to protect his village from Deidara’s explosive clay, Gaara uses his chakra to create a giant sand shield.

Director: Mitsutaka Noshitani

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Gaara, his strength completely exhausted, is whisked away by Deidara. Kankuro ignores Baki’s efforts to stop him and immediately sets out in pursuit with a platoon to rescue Gaara.

Director: Hayato Goda

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

An urgent message from the Sand Village detailing the Akatsuki’s kidnapping of the Kazekage reaches the Hidden Leaf Village. Tsunade wastes no time in ordering Team Kakashi to the Sand Village.

Director: Hiroshi Kimura

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

On her way to the Sand Village, Temari encounters Kakashi and his team. Kakashi admonishes Naruto when he tries to rush ahead…

Director: Masaaki Kumagai

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

The Sand ninja fight against time to treat Kankuro. Even the Sand’s poison expert, Granny Chiyo, is baffled. The only hope lies with the reinforcements sent by Tsunade.

Director: Akitaro Daichi

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Sakura treats a critically ill Kankuro. After extensive training she’s now a full-fledged Medic Ninja, and Sakura amazes everyone with her sure, steady hands.

Director: Atsushi Nigorikawa

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Pakkun finds the hideout of the Akatsuki. Team Kakashi and Temari prepare to set out to get Gaara back, but Temari is ordered to stay behind and help guard the village.

Director: Kiyomu Fukuda

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Guy prepares to use a forbidden secret jutsu. Meanwhile, Naruto falls under Itachi’s genjutsu, and all the anti-genjutsu training he underwent with Jiraiya races through Naruto’s mind.

Director: Neko Okuma

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Guy prepares to use a forbidden secret jutsu. Meanwhile, Naruto falls under Itachi’s genjutsu, and all the anti-genjutsu training he underwent with Jiraiya races through Naruto’s mind.

Director: Mitsutaka Noshitani

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Granny Chiyo and Sakura rescue Naruto from Itachi’s genjutsu. Without a moment’s delay, Kakashi begins a counterattack.

Director: Hayato Date

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Chiyo and Kakashi realize that the attack was just a diversion, and that the Akatsuki have already begun the process of extracting the Tailed Beast from Gaara.

Director: Hiroshi Kimura

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Teams Kakashi and Guy take a short rest. Granny Chiyo watches Naruto dozing off and is reminded of Sasori as a child. The pursuit resumes, and when Chiyo wonders why Naruto puts such effort into...

Director: Masaaki Kumagai

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Teams Kakashi and Guy reach the Akatsuki hideout. They hurry to infiltrate but are thwarted by a five-seal barrier. The only way to break the barrier is to remove all five seals at once.

Director: Akitaro Daichi

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Breaking the five-seal barrier set off a trap, which now has Team Guy battling amazingly accurate copies of themselves. Back at the Akatsuki hideout, Deidara and Sasori struggle to take the Nine-Tail Jinchûriki.

Director: Atsushi Nigorikawa

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

At last, the showdown between the old woman and her grandson begins. Sakura is confused by Sasori’s strange appearance, and Granny Chiyo explains that this is Hiruko…

Director: Kiyomu Fukuda

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Granny Chiyo and Sakura manage to expose Sasori, who amazingly looks no older than he did twenty years earlier.

Director: Neko Okuma

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Sakura is caught by Sasori’s tactic and surrounded by a poison cloud.

Director: Mitsutaka Noshitani

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Chiyo and Sakura take cover, and Sasori wastes no time unleashing a ruthless attack.

Director: Masaki Takano

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Sakura counters the Iron Sand attack of the Third Kazekage puppet with superhuman strength.

Director: Hiroshi Kimura

Writer: Satoru Nishizono

Sakura destroys the Third Kazekage puppet thanks to a secret antidote she had taken.

Director: Masaaki Kumagai

Writer: Satoru Nishizono