Dancing Leaf, Squirming Sand

With Shikamaru and Temari's match settled, the crowd praises Shikamaru's cunning, and Asuma observes that his willingness to withdraw rather than risk himself over wounded pride marks the most important quality in a Chūnin. As the Sasuke versus Gaara bout is due to begin, the Third Hokage imposes a deadline for Sasuke to appear. Might Guy and Rock Lee arrive at the gates, Lee still hurt but set on watching what remains.

Sasuke reaches the arena at the final moment alongside Kakashi Hatake. Naruto greets him and assures him that he defeated Neji. On his way in, Gaara cuts down a pair of ninja caught trying to fix the outcome of the match, a killing seen by Naruto and Shikamaru, who grow fearful for Sasuke's safety. The match then gets underway.

Asuma praises Shikamaru's decision to concede as the mark of a true Chūnin. Sasuke arrives at the last second with Kakashi as the Third Hokage's deadline expires. Gaara kills two ninja attempting to rig the match, alarming Naruto and Shikamaru just before his fight with Sasuke begins.

The episode is part of the original series Chūnin Exams arc and adapts manga chapters 109 and 110. Its opening theme is Turning Sadness Into Kindness and the ending theme is Alive. It aired in Japan on December 31, 2003, and in English on December 9, 2006. Trivia notes that Shiba is drawn with a Sunagakure forehead protector instead of a Kusagakure one, and Naruto's whiskers vanish in his final scene due to an animation error.