Gosunkugi Capture Mission

Running across episodes 159 and 160 of the original Naruto series, this short mission follows the Kurosuki Family Removal and Academy Student Lead stories and leads into the Cursed Warrior Extermination Mission. When news arrives that the notorious thief Gosunkugi of the Land of Stone is crossing toward the Land of Fire, Tsunade dispatches a small team to bring him in.

Naruto, Kiba, and Hinata set out on the capture, crossing paths with a bounty hunter named Sazanami who is chasing the same target. After brushing the young ninja aside, Sazanami tracks Gosunkugi down but is quickly beaten and rescued by the Konoha team. While tending his wounds, they discover he is actually a separate wanted man, Tokichi, who was framed for a family's murder that Gosunkugi himself committed. Resolving to clear his name, they join forces to hunt the real culprit once more.

Before Naruto's group can close in, both Gosunkugi and Tokichi are seized by a different bounty hunter and delivered to the authorities. That hunter proves to be an honourable man who helps prove Tokichi's innocence. For the Konoha team, however, the outcome counts as a failure, since another party made the capture in their place.