Naruto, Vol. 25: Brothers

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 25: Brothers. 2011. 192p. ISBN 9781421544816. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Having caught up with Sasuke in Naruto, Vol. 24, Naruto confronts his best friend in a fierce battle. Sasuke, driven by a desire for power to avenge his clan, remembers the past to understand how his older brother Itachi became the formidable ninja he is today. This exploration reveals the dark secrets that surround his parents' murders, a tragic event that shaped Sasuke's life and ultimately led to the destruction of their clan. Sasuke also explores why his father seemingly rejected him in favor of his older brother, and felt he could never measure up.

As Naruto fights Sasuke in a fierce battle, he grapples with the devastating realization that his close friendship with Sasuke may ultimately lead to his downfall, as Sasuke reveals that he must kill his best friend to acquire the power he seeks. As the two of them battle at the waterfall, who will come out triumphant, and at what cost?

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 26.

Naruto, Vol. 24: Unorthodox

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 24: Unorthodox. 2011. 192p. ISBN 9781421544816. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

All of the combats in Naruto, Vol. 23 reached their climax as Naruto and his friends were either forced to withdraw after suffering injuries, or found themselves in a deadly stalemate. When the Sound Ninjas tap deep in their chakra reserve, the chunins from Kohona are utterly spent. But as each of the remaining Sound Ninja seek to deliver a death blow, Naruto is joined first by Rock Lee, who survived his operation, and by the Sand Ninjas. Kankuro, Temari and Gaara join each of the fights, altering the balance in their favor.

Gaara and Rock Lee takes on Kimimaro, allowing Naruto to chase a now awakened Sasuke. Orichimaru still needs Sasuke to reach him, so he can take over his body. Shikamaru and Temari stop Tayuya's flute playing and destroy part of the forest when they take her out. Kankuro help Kiba and his dog Akamaru against the twice entity Sakon and Ukon. These deadly battles leave a trail of destruction in their wake.

Naruto finally catches up to Sasuke. Can he bring him back to Sakura as he promised? 

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 25.

Naruto, Vol. 23: Predicament

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 23: Predicament. 2011. 192p. ISBN 9781421544809. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Following a chase that started in Naruto, Vol. 21 and continued in Naruto, Vol. 22, Shikamaru, Naruto and Kiba have caught up with the two remaining Sound Ninja. Through clever strategy and jitsu, they steal the container with Sasuke inside from those ninjas, and they withdraw. Obviously, those two will not let their prize go, and the chase resumes, this time in the opposite direction. The arrival of Kimimaro, the fifth of the Sound Ninja, is heralded when she steals the container from Naruto. Faced with a three versus three situation, the Kohona ninjas split and each takes an enemy.

Shikamaru faces Tayuya, who controls chakra monsters with her flute. He delays and avoids her attacks until he figures out how she gives orders to those monsters using her instrument, and then deploys his shadow jitsu to take control. Shifting to second stage, she breaks off his hold, but by doing so falls into his trap, and finds herself face to face with him.

Kiba and his dog Akamaru confront Sakon, who hosts her brother inside her. They split up, and attack Kiba and his small dog, but Kiba uses his jitsu to combine with Akamaru into a large two-headed dog. The battle is uneven, however, as Kiba is outclassed, and Akamaru is severely injured attempting to save Kiba. With no other option, Kiba takes Akamaru and retreats down the river.

Naruto catches up with Kimimaro, who reveals Orichimaru's plan to achieve immortality by implanting his soul in Sasuke's body after destroying the boy's own soul. Only then can Orichimaru continue to live. Kimimaro pulls bones out of his body to create weapons, while Naruto summons an army of Doppelgängers. The battle for possession of Sasuke begins ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 24.

Naruto, Vol. 22: Comrades

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 22: Comrades. 2007. 192p. ISBN 9781421518589. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Naruto and the rest of his team continue chasing the Sound ninjas who are transporting Sasuke. Choji was left behind in Naruto, Vol. 21, and the four remaining ninjas from Kohona are relentlessly tracking their enemies through the forest. Catching up to the three remaining Sound ninjas, Naruto, Neji, Kiba and Shikaramu are stopped by Kidomaru, whose ability are those of a spider. Neji steps up and confronts Kidomaru, while Naruto and his two friends continue the pursuit.

Using his chakra control, Neji is able to block most of Kidomaru's attempts, but a small blind spot almost causes his downfall. Fortunately, Neji devises a strategy. He takes a massive hit, but in turn takes enough control of Kidomaru's chakra to remove him as a thread.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru can no longer wait for Sasuke to arrive. The evil mastermind is forced to move to plan B to assure his own survival ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 23: Predicament.

Naruto, Vol. 21: Pursuit

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 21: Pursuit. 2007. 216p. ISBN 9781421518558. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Determined to pursue his brother and avenge himself, Sasuke tried to leave Kohona to rejoin Orichimaru's elite squad, a group he encountered in Naruto, Vol. 20. His exit is interrupted by Sakura, who confronts him and declares her love for him. She even promises to follow him into battle if he will allow her to be with him. Sasuke knocks her unconscious and departs the village.

When his absence is discovered the following morning, Lady Tsunade has no choice but to send ninjas after him to bring him back. Unfortunately, all of the high level ninjas are already out on missions or defending the village, so she turns to Shikamaru, a newly minted chunin, to assemble a team to track and retrieve Sasuke. Shikamaru turns to Naruto, Kiba, Neji and Choji. Sakura and Lee both want to join the team, but Lee is still recovering from the recent battles, while Sakura has already failed, and therefore cannot join them.

Chasing Sasuke, Shikamaru's team soon encounters Orichimaru's elite ninjas, the Sound Ninjas, and while three of them carrying an inconscious Sasuke flee, one remains to challenge the team. One versus five is not a fair fight for Shikamaru and his team, who soon find themselves overwhelmed. Can Choji deploy his secret weapon and save them all?

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 22.

Naruto, Vol. 20: Naruto vs. Sasuke

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 20: Naruto vs. Sasuke. 2007. 192p. ISBN 9781421516554. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Having returned to the village with Lady Tsunade in Naruto, Vol. 19, Naruto is reunited with Sakura and Sasuke. Sasuke is still angry with his injuries, and despite all of her efforts, Sakura is rejected time and again. When he sees Naruto, Sasuke, who's still weak, stands up and tells Naruto that they will settle their differences once and for all. On the roof of the hospital, both ninjas fight to injure and kill, not to demonstrate their abilities. Kakashi, who was also hurt, intervenes, and lectures both on the value of friendship. Sasuke, who's still bent on getting revenge, angrily departs.

Unfortunately for him, Orichimaru has dispatched the Sound Four to capture the boy and bring him back so he can convince him to join his fight. Outnumbered, Sasuke is cornered and must fight to survive.

Meanwhile, Lee also must fight to survive. His injuries are so severe that Tsunade tell him the risks are too great to heal him, and Lee should give up on his dream of becoming a ninja. Determined to fight to the end, Lee discusses the situation with Master Guy, who agrees with Lee that the surgery that could kill him is the only way to go ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 21: Pursuit.

Naruto, Vol. 19: Successor

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 19. 2007. 192p. ISBN 9781421516547. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Lady Tsunade had a decision to make in Naturo, Vol. 18. She could heal Orochimaru's arms, or she could become his enemy. Naruto and Jiraiya track down Tsunade, and arrive just in time to witness Tsunade rebuff Orochimaru's offer of bring her loved ones back to life. Reclaiming the title of Fifth Hokage, Tsunade is determined to protect the village of Konoha. An all-out battle between Orochimaru and the traitor Kabuto on one side, and Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shizune, and Naruto on the other erupts, and both sides employ strange jutsu to achieve their goal.

Scared of blood, Tsunade overcomes her fear and takes several wounds to protect Naruto. Orochimaru, worried about the potential Naruto has shown, decided to eliminate the boy and Tsunade, recognizing the same potential, did everything to protect him. In the end, the presence of the three Legendary ninjas in open conflict with each other causes an epic confrontation. Will Naruto and his friends be able to defeat Orochimaru and prevent him from healing his arms?

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 20.

Naruto, Vol. 18

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 18. 2007. 192p. ISBN 9781421516530. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Following the confrontation with Itachi and Sasuke's subsequent injuries in Naruto, Vol. 17, it is now more imperative than ever for Naruto and Jiraiya to track down Lady Tsunada so that she can come back to Konoha to heal Naruto's frenemy. Jiraiya is also hoping that Tsunada will accept the title of Lord Hokage and lead the village.

But they are not the only ones who seek Lady Tsunade. Orochimaru and Kabuto also want to find her, and Orochimaru has an intriguing proposition to make. Finding her first, Orochimaru confronts Tsunada, and makes her an offer: Heal his arm, and he will bring back her younger brother and her lover from the dead. Orochimaru then admits with his restored arm he will destroy Konoha. He gives her a week to make a decision.

Jiraiya and Naruto find her soon after, and realize that Orochimaru has already been here. Naruto has continued his training, and mastered the first and second levels of the Rasengan, a secret jitsu controlled by few. But he struggles with the third and final stage of controlling the energy and the its containment. When Tsunade disparages and refuses to take the title of Lord Hokage, Naruto challenges her, for that has been his life goal. Tsunada agrees, and quickly stops Naruto. But she then makes a bet with him. Learn the third stage within the week, and she will offer him her necklace.

Coincidentally, that is the same week she has to reach a decision with Orochimaru. Torn between the two options, what choice will Tsunada make?

Naruto, Vol. 17

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 17. 2007. 192p. ISBN 9781421516523. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Continuing their quest from Naruto, Vol. 16 to locate Tsunada and ask her to return to their village so that Jirayia does not have to become the next Hokage,  Naruto and Jirayia have stopped at a hotel for the night. Hearing a knock on the door, Naruto opens it, only to find himself standing in front of Uchina Itachi, Sasuke's brother. Itachi has been mandated to bring Naruto with him. Sasuke, who wants revenge on his own brother for slaughtering his family, intervenes, but despite his skills he is no match for his brother. Fortunately Jirayia returns at the right time, and manages to trap Itachi and his companion for a few minutes before they successfully escape.

With Sasuke badly hurt, finding Tsunade has become more urgent. Jirayia and Naruto set out to continue Naturo's training while they look for the lady known as the Legendary Loser. Working on his jitsu, Naruto tries to master the art of exploding a water balloon, while Jirayia hunts for any clue as to the whereabouts of Tsunade.

Meanwhile, Orichimari is also looking for Tsunade, as his confrontation with the Fourth Hokage has left him badly injured, and only a healer of her caliber can restore him to full health ... 

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 18. 

Naruto, Vol. 16

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 16. 2003. 200p. ISBN 9781421510903. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Naruto concludes his battle Gaara, which started in Naruto, Vol. 15. The two of them are evenly matched, and they expand all of their chakra before arriving at a draw. As they lay on the ground completely spent, Naruto explains to Gaara that love helped him overcome his loneliness, and that despair is the true enemy. Gaara is rescued by Temari and Kankuro, ending this particular battle.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru's attack on Konoha fails as the Third Hokage manages to seal Orochimaru's jitsu away as he enters the lands of death. Konoha's remaining ninjas defeat Orochimaru's ninjas, and the village takes a moment to honor its former leader. But already enemies begin circling. Uchina Itachi, Sasuke's brother, returns to Konoha on a secret mission, but Kakashi interrupts his reconnaissance. 

Jirayia, who was entrusted with teaching Naruto, sets out to find Tsunade, so that he doesn't have to become the next Hokage. They set out, but Uchina Itachi is right on their heels, while Sasuke, who heard that the brother he seeks vengeance against was in town, is also looking for them ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 17.

Naruto, Vol. 15

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 15. 2002. 192p. ISBN 9781421510897. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

The battle between Sasuke and Gaara that started in Naturo, Vol 14, continues. Gaara has managed to summon half of the demon that lives within himself, but Sasuke is proving more resilient than expected. Using the jutsu techniques he learned from Kakashi, he repels Gaara's attack and inflicts pain on his enemy. This is the first time that Gaara has felt physical pain, as the sand usually protects him from attack.

Gaara's youth is explored through flashbacks, including his growing up as a lonely and dangerous child shunned by the other children, his birth and the death of his mother, and his killing of his mother's younger sister during an assassination attempt on his life. 

Gaara is too powerful, however, and Sasuke finds himself overwhelmed. He is rescued by Naruto and Sakura. Naruto distracts Gaara while Sakura administers first aid to Sasuke. Gaara, however, pins her against a tree, and taunts Naruto that if he doesn't fight him, Sakura and Sasuke will die. In that moment Naruto realizes that Gaara is a lot like him, isolated and lonely. 

Naruto launches attack after attack, and though all of them do damage, they are not able to stop Gaara as he completes his own transformation into the sand demon. So Naruto summons Kichiyose, the giant frog ...

The story continues in Naturo, Vol. 16.

Naruto, Vol. 14

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 14. 2002. 184p. ISBN 9781421510880. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Orochimaru's plot to isolate and destroy the Third Hokage came to fruition in Naruto, Vol. 13. Now, the former student seeks to kill the Hokage with the devious technique of reanimating the souls of the First and Second Hokage and have them engage their successor. It is the ultimate battle between two deadly jutsu techniques.

Meanwhile, Naruto, accompanied by Sakura and Shikamaru, seek to catch up to Sasuke, who is himself chasing Gaara. Sand ninjas are chasing them, and though they would like to set up an ambush, the ninjas in pursuit are trained in these techniques. The only radical thing left to do is to set up a fake ambush. Shikamaru volunteers to waylay the ninjas, and give enough time to Sakura and Naruto to escape and find Sasuke. For someone who never wanted to excel, Shikamaru is worried he's about to become a dead hero.

At the same time, Sasuke catches up with Gaara, and the battle that began during the Chunin exam resumes, except that Gaara's form is now switching ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 15.

Naruto, Vol. 13

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 13. 2002. 192p. ISBN 9781421510873. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

The epic battle that started in Naruto, Vol. 12 concludes in this book as the last pairing of the Chunin Exam is about to take place. Naruto, Sakura and the rest of the ninjas in training have been wondering where Sasuke had gone to, and whether he would even return to fight Gaara. They shouldn't have worried. Under Kakashi's brilliant tutelage, Sasuke has captured the synergies involved in Rock Lee's moves, and he has incorporated them into his own technique. 

When the most ancitipated fight starts, Sasuke immediately dominates the battle, putting Gaara on the defensive. But even his protective sand sphere is unable to survive Sasuke's repeated assaults, and Gaara is in danger of being defeated when Orochimaru, disguised as the secretive leader of the Sand village, triggers a ninja war. Naruto, Sakura and Sasuke go from being in training to full-fledged ninjas, and they must track down an escaping Gaara, while Kakashi figures a way to save the Fourth Hokage from Orochimaru's deadly clutches ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 14.

Naruto, Vol. 12

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 12. 2002. 196p. ISBN 9781421502427. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

In Naruto, Vol. 11, Naruto discovered that he would be fighting Neji in the third and final phase of the Chunin exam. The two of them step into the arena, in front of a large crowd, including many of the leaders of the other clans. As a member of the cadet class, Neji has a large chip on his shoulder, and he assumes that no one could understand what it is like to be the village's pariah, something that Naruto can relate to very well.

Naruto attacks quickly, but then realize that any attack within range of Neji risks him using his jitsu to block Naruto's chakra points, depriving of his own life force. Naruto comes up with several clever ways, but it's to no avail as Neji lands a blow that would have crippled anyone else. Neji reveals his background story, but to his surprise, Naruto calls upon the chakra from the Nine Tail Fox, and he successfully defeats Neji.

Meanwhile, Sasuke is still missing, and there is a discussion on whether his combat will Gaara will take place. Hinata, for her part, collapses, and Kabuto, who killed and replaced a disguised Black Ops ninja, intervenes to heal her. But what are his sinister plans? 

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 13.

Naruto, Vol. 11

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 11. 2002. 192p. ISBN 9781421502410. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Having met Pervy Sage in Naruto, Vol. 10, Naruto finds himself in Jiraiya's capable hands for further training. Jiraiya, who was once part of the same training group as Orochimaru, strives to unlock Naruto's access to the inner chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox, which is imprisonned inside the youth, but Naruto is simply unable to reach this deep. Jiraiya realizes that Naruto must be in immediate danger before he can actually manifest this power, so he engineers a situation where Naruto will have no choice but to summon this reserve of chakra.

Meanwhile, the village of sound has allied itself with the village of sand in preparation for war against the village of Konohagakure, where Naruto is from. The reasons are not yer clear, but Orochimaru and Kabuto are behind this effort. 

When Sakura discovers that Sasuke is missing she is crushed. Where would he have gone? She decides to leave her flowers with Roc Lee, who is recuperating from his efforts in his combat against Gaara. With he first round of battle between the eight remaining ninjas about to begin, Sasuke is still missing and will be disqualified if he doesn't show up. But first, it is Naruto versus Neji!

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 12. 

Naruto, Vol. 10

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 10. 2001. 184p. ISBN 9781421502397. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

When Naruto, Vol. 9 concluded, Roc Lee and Gaara were to finally meet in the 3rd test of the Chunin exam. Now on the floor of the arena, both of the contestants ready themselves for the most intense fight of their lives. Gaara has several tricks up his sleeve, but Roc Lee's physical training and dedication almost allow him to triumph over the sand ninja. In the end, Gaara had to reach deep inside himself to muster enough strength to defeat Roc, who is sent to the infirmery injured after tapping into forbidden life energy. Master Guy his proud of his pupil, however.

Meanwhile, Orochimaru is still interfering with Sasuke. He sends his agent Kabuto to try and assassinate the young ninja, but Kakashi intervenes and saves Sasuke's life. With he 3rd test done, the ninjas have a month to prepare for the most grueling trial yet, where they will fight against each other until one has won it all. Naruto is assigned a different trainer than Kakashi, but on his way to learn how to walk on water, he meets a strange new ninja ...

The story continues in Naturo, Vol. 11.

Naruto, Vol. 9

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 9. 2001. 184p. ISBN 9781421502397. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

At the end of Naruto, Vol. 8, Sakura and Ito were fighting each other, and Ito had figured out a way to take control of Sakura's body. Hoping to thwart her former friend, Ito forces Sakura to raise her hand and resign, but Naruto'r goating is enough to trigger Sakura's own spirit, which had been pushed aside by Ito, to regain control over her own body. The assembled ninjas are impressed, as this feat is unheard of. The two girls resume fighting, but a particularly violent hit renders both unconscious, stopping their fight.

Naruto is eventually paired with Kira, and though the dog man's techniques are honed and tested, Naruto manages, through wiles and grit, to defeat him, and even shows off a trick he learned from Sasuke. As the third part of the Chunin examn comes to an end, Roc Lee is paired with Gaara. Will Roc's dedication and physical strength be enough to defeat the master of sand?

The story continues in Naruto, Vol, 10.

Naruto, Vol. 8

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 8. 2001. 192p. ISBN 9781421501246. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Following their successful completion of the second part of the Chunin exam in Naruto, Vol. 7, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura enter the tower in the Forest of Death and they open their scroll, which reveals that the secret of being a good ninja is accessing the qualities of heaven and earth, that is, being human. The third part of the Chunin exam involves one to one combat between the participants, so that their numbers can be dwindled further to a more manageable one.

Still hurt from his previous encounter with Orichimaru and still suffering from the curse that was placed on him, Sasuke is the first one called to the floor ton confront Yoroi, one of Kabuto's partners. Having observed Roc Lee's technique during their previous encounter, Sasuke pulls out a pure physical move that doesn't draw any energy from his chakra, and defeats Yoroi.

Other ninjas battle it out, until Sakura is called to the floor. She will be fighting her former best friend, Ino. Both of them are attracted to Sasuke, and neither will hold a punch as they determine who will move forward in the training ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 9.

Naruto, Vol. 7

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 7. 2001. 192p. ISBN 9781591168751. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Continuing the second trial of the Chunin exams in Naruto, Vol. 6, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura found themselves int he Forest of Death and suffered a vicious attack by the sound ninjas, who have been hired by Orochimaru to kill Sasuke. With both Sasuke and Naruto out, it was left to Sakura to protect her teammates. Fortunately, Ino and her two teammates intervened, and Roc Lee's teammates also show up, leading to a standstill. 

Infected by Orochimaru's virus, Sasuke wakes up and rejoins the fight, defeating the sound ninjas through overwhelming force. Naruto comes to, only to find that the battle is over. Meanwhile, the ninjas from the village of Sand have ruthlessly killed their opponents, and arrived at the tower a mere 90 minutes after the start of the event, shattering all records, and raising concerns for the organizers.

Short on time and missing a scroll to complete their mission, Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura encounter Kabuto, who provided them with choice intelligence in Naruto, Vol 5. He got separated from his team, and he already has two scrolls. Discussing strategies, they soon arrive at the conclusion that their best hope to secure the missing scroll is to head to the tower, and hope to intercept another team. Sasuke, however, suspects that Kabuto has a hidden agenda ...

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 8.

Naruto, Vol. 6

Kishimoto, Masashi. Naruto, Vol. 6. 2001. 192p. ISBN 9781591167396. Available in the graphic novels section of the library.

Having passed the written portion of the Chunin exam in Naruto, Vol. 5, Naruto and his team have been dispatched to the Forest of Death, where they are entrusted with one of the two scrolls they need to have in their possession before they reach the tower at the center of the forest. Immediately, things go bad as students are attacked and killed. An imposter has infiltrated the proceedings, and is using his abilities to mask his real face. When he confronts Sasuke, Naruto and his rival are quickly put out of commission. Sakura, however, remains in the fight and stands up to this foe. Right at the time of defeat, however, Roc Lee and some of the other students join the fight against the sound ninjas.

The story continues in Naruto, Vol. 7.