Kakashi Hatake shows up late again for a routine mission, and while Team 7 waits, missing-nin working for Orochimaru ambush them and drag Sakura Haruno away. Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha give chase into enemy territory, facing down the group's leader, Kajika, who has orders to gauge Sasuke's fighting strength before anything else. This one-episode special drops the trio back into their Team 7 dynamic between the Land of Waves and Chunin Exam arcs.