The final battle of the Chunin Exam is at hand, with Sasuke and Gaara facing off in the arena. Later, Naruto, Sakura and Shikamaru are on a top priority mission to track down Sasuke and the Sand chunin. Back at the village, the Third Hokage is still trapped in Orochimaru s impenetrable barrier. And the tension between Naruto and Gaara builds. As Gaara continues to mutate, Naruto prepares for the fight of his life!