The Directive to Take the Nine-Tails

Deep in a hidden lab, a bolt of lightning animates one of Orochimaru's experiments, which promptly turns on its maker and wrecks the building, driving Orochimaru and Kabuto to flee. The following day, Itachi and Kisame recover the wreckage and haul it back to Pain, who uses the King of Hell to restore and upgrade the machine. Cloaked and rebuilt, it is handed to Itachi with orders to seize the Nine-Tails. Near Konohagakure, Itachi sets it loose to capture Naruto, and the construct rampages through villagers and overpowers Guy's team before Naruto himself steps in, eager to return to his training.

Naruto swarms the machine with clones, but it shrugs them off, and when he tears its cloak he finds a mechanical copy of himself, Mecha-Naruto, which starts draining his Nine-Tails chakra and sapping his strength. Kakashi and Yamato arrive, with Kakashi distracting the replica with his Lightning Cutter so Yamato can pull Naruto free, and the three slip away through a hidden tunnel. Mecha-Naruto begins leveling the village to flush Naruto out, prompting Tsunade to stage a decoy: Naruto and Yamato ride off in a palanquin borne by Choji, Kiba, Neji, and Shikamaru with Kakashi as backup. Shino insists on joining and is beaten, Shikamaru swaps in to face the machine and is slammed into the ground, and Tsunade sends Shizune to call for aid from Sunagakure.

Orochimaru's experiment awakens, attacks him, and forces him and Kabuto to abandon their lair. Itachi and Kisame bring the wreckage to Pain, who repairs and modifies it with the King of Hell. Itachi deploys the machine to capture Naruto, and it is revealed to be a mechanical duplicate called Mecha-Naruto. Mecha-Naruto siphons Naruto's chakra before Kakashi and Yamato rescue him. Tsunade launches a palanquin decoy plan that fails as Shino and Shikamaru are defeated, and she requests reinforcements from Sunagakure.

This anime-original episode introduces Mecha-Naruto, a mechanical counterpart to the hero. Two continuity slips are noted: the Deva Path is shown wielding the King of Hell, which normally belongs to the Naraka Path, and during one palanquin scene Choji is mistakenly drawn with red hair.