The Battle Begins: Naruto vs. Sasuke

Wounds carried back from the Land of Tea assignment leave Sasuke bedridden while he heals inside the Konoha hospital. Around the village, other threads move forward: Tsunade elevates Shikamaru to the rank of chunin, then turns her attention to operating on Rock Lee. What festers in Sasuke, though, is envy. Watching Naruto grow more capable while he remains too weak to face his brother Itachi has worn his patience thin.

When Naruto and Sakura stop by to check on him, Sasuke seizes the moment and throws down a challenge. Naruto agrees without hesitation, and the pair climb to the hospital roof. Their exchange escalates from taunts to strikes until Naruto shapes a Rasengan in his palm and Sasuke lights a Chidori in his own. They break into a sprint straight at each other while Sakura cries out for them both to stop.

Shikamaru earns his chunin promotion from the Fifth Hokage, and Tsunade begins the delicate surgery meant to repair Rock Lee. Sasuke openly measures himself against Naruto and finds the gap unbearable, which drives him to provoke the confrontation. The episode ends on the two rivals rushing forward with a Rasengan and a Chidori aimed at one another.

The installment belongs to the Sasuke Recovery Mission arc and draws its material from chapters 173, 174, 175, and 184 of the manga. It first aired in Japan on November 3, 2004, with the English broadcast following on October 6, 2007. The opening theme is Rhapsody of Youth and the closing theme is Mountain a Go Go Two.