A New Chapter Begins: The Chūnin Exam!

Their assignment in the Land of Waves behind them, Team 7 heads home to Konohagakure. Even though Sasuke had saved his life on that mission, Naruto's rivalry with him has soured their coordination further, and his constant drive to outdo Sasuke throws off their later jobs. Judging their teamwork hopeless for the day, Kakashi calls it early and dismisses them. On his way out, Sasuke bluntly tells Naruto to just grow stronger, then dismisses Sakura, who had proposed the boys train separately, as being even worse off than Naruto.

Konohamaru and his friends Udon and Moegi trail after Naruto. During the mischief that follows, Konohamaru collides with a visiting ninja and hurls an insult, drawing a threat on his life. Naruto lunges at the stranger but is felled by an unseen attack. As the outsider moves to strike Konohamaru, Sasuke steps in with a well-aimed stone that forces the boy to be dropped. A second newcomer then materializes and orders his companion to quit fooling around.

Meanwhile the village's jōnin assemble alongside the Third Hokage, who declares that the Chūnin Exams will begin in seven days, on 1 July. A bit of trivia notes that the key Naruto uses on his door is shaped after Pakkun, one of Kakashi's ninken. The episode belongs to the Chūnin Exams arc and adapts chapter 34. Its opening theme is R★O★C★K★S and its ending theme is Wind. It aired in Japan on 20 February 2003 and in English on 21 January 2006.