Eat or be Eaten: Panic in the Forest

Sent off to relieve himself, Naruto returns only to be attacked by Sasuke, who tells Sakura that this is a fake, since the real Naruto still bears a scar on his cheek. With the ruse blown, the Ame ninja drops the disguise and fights Sasuke, who defeats him, spots the genuine Naruto nearby, and cuts him loose after finishing the enemy.

Sasuke insists Team 7 adopt a password, choosing one so long that Naruto can barely keep it straight before a violent gust of wind tears him away from the others. As he gets his bearings, a huge snake swallows him whole. When Sasuke and Sakura later reunite with someone they take for Naruto, Sasuke grows wary the instant "Naruto" recites the difficult phrase flawlessly, reasoning that the real one never could have, which is exactly why he picked something so unwieldy. The impostor is exposed as the Kusagakure ninja Shiore, who swallows a scroll and pins Sasuke and Sakura with paralyzing visions of their own deaths.

Sasuke pulls himself together and gets the two of them clear of Shiore. At the same time, Naruto tears his way out of the serpent with the Shadow Clone Technique and rushes to help his teammates just as Shiore has them cornered.

This is episode 28 of the original Naruto anime, adapting chapters 46 and 47 of the manga, and it belongs to the Chunin Exams storyline. It aired in Japan on April 9, 2003, and in English on April 15, 2006. The opening theme is Far Away and the ending theme is Harmonia.