Jiraiya: Naruto's Potential Disaster!

Sent by her mother to drop off dumplings at Ino's house, Sakura sets aside a portion for Sasuke and wavers over whether Naruto deserves any. She thinks back to Naruto pestering Kakashi to teach him the Chidori after the Konoha Crush ended. When she had thanked Sasuke for shielding her from Gaara, he insisted the credit belonged to Naruto, whose sudden strength had truly saved her. Believing him at last, Sakura sets aside dumplings for Naruto too.

On the road toward another town, Naruto wonders aloud why Jiraiya took him on as a student. Jiraiya answers that the boy reminds him of the Fourth Hokage, revealing the Fourth was once his pupil, and that his own teacher had been the Third Hokage. When he asks about the bell test, Naruto admits he was left tied to a post, prompting Jiraiya to laugh and recall his own youth, when Orochimaru and Tsunade claimed the bells while he was bound the same way. Neither of them notices Itachi and Kisame trailing behind, choosing not to provoke a legendary Sannin.

Alone in the Konoha woods, Sasuke shatters rocks with his Chidori and stews over how quickly Naruto is improving. Determined to match that growth, he goes looking for Kakashi. Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai have carried the unconscious Kakashi home and agreed to hide Itachi's return from Sasuke. Their discussion halts when Sasuke walks in searching for Kakashi, shocked to find him bedridden and flanked by three jōnin. Aoba then bursts in and loudly asks whether Itachi has resurfaced to hunt Naruto. Resolving to guard Naruto and to avenge the Uchiha clan, Sasuke bolts off, only to learn Naruto has already left with Jiraiya.

This is episode 83 of the original Naruto series, part of the Search for Tsunade arc and adapting chapters 143 and 144. In a distant town, Naruto trains alone in a hotel room while Jiraiya courts a woman named Emi. Sasuke arrives and visits inn after inn asking about a blond boy and a white-haired old man. One innkeeper points him to a room down the hall, but when the door opens it reveals a different blond boy with an aged white-haired companion, while back in his own room Naruto opens his door to find Itachi standing before him. The episode pairs the opening theme GO!!! with the ending theme Many Times Before.