Rift

Training alone, Sasuke slams his Chidori into a massive rock while replaying his clash with Gaara. He recalls striking Gaara's half-changed arm, only for the sand user to grow the limb back while the cursed seal left Sasuke immobilized. Naruto's arrival saved him, with a kick to Gaara's face; when Gaara restrained Sakura, Naruto squared off in fury, hurling shuriken and unleashing an improvised barrage. Gaara then loosed Shukaku, and Naruto answered by summoning Gamabunta, a feat that stunned Pakkun and left Sasuke unsettled by how far his rival had climbed.

With his session over, Sasuke discovers Itachi has come back to Konoha hunting Naruto and finds him at an inn beside Kisame Hoshigaki. His Chidori is caught with ease; Itachi snaps his arm, kicks him aside, and states plainly that only Naruto interests him. Jiraiya rescues the pair by summoning Gama to hold off Samehada, but Itachi subdues Sasuke again, declaring his hatred too weak, then traps him in Tsukuyomi to relive the Uchiha massacre. The Akatsuki duo slip free of Jiraiya's toad-mouth bind through Amaterasu.

Tsunade heals Sasuke, delighting Naruto, yet Sasuke seethes at his rival's progress and challenges him. Their Chidori and Rasengan nearly collide until Kakashi flings both boys clear, scolding Sasuke for aiming Chidori at a comrade and questioning Jiraiya's choice to teach the Rasengan; Jiraiya calls the criticism hypocritical. Seeing the crater Naruto's technique carved only deepens Sasuke's anger. That night the Sound Four ambush and easily beat him, dangling Orochimaru's power before departing, and Sasuke concludes he needs that strength to ever kill Itachi.

The retrospective installment sits in the Jiraiya novel commemorative material, running the opening Assault Rock and the ending Cascade. Its Japanese airing was April 19, 2012, followed by the English broadcast on September 13, 2014. Trivia notes small animation differences from the original hospital-rooftop scene and altered outfit colors for the Sound Four, with Tayuya in pink, Kidomaru in light blue, Jirobo in cream, and Sakon and Ukon in brown.