- Naruto manga volume 34
Views: 4707
Yamato, Naruto, and Sakura find Sai and restrain him for his treachery, though his mission is revealed to kill Sasuke rather than take him back alive. As they prepare to search for Sasuke, Sai questions Naruto's reasons for wanting to have Sasuke back, to which Naruto responds that the two formed a bond that he refuses to have broken. Intrigued by this concept of bonds, Sai rejoins them, even helping in capturing Kabuto. The group splits up, and Sai is the first to find Sasuke. Although Sai attempts to capture him on Naruto's behalf, Sasuke proves too strong as he overwhelms the assembled Team Kakashi. Despite this turn of events, Naruto refuses the Nine Tails's power before Sasuke entered the youth's mind and overwhelm the Tailed Beast. As Sasuke prepares to kill them all, Orochimaru and Kabuto convince him to let them live so they can take out the Akatsuki for them before the three leave with the mission a failure.
- Naruto manga volume 33
Views: 5357
Kabuto, having always been loyal to Orochimaru, destroys Sasori's Hiruko body with Yamato exposed, forcing him to call in Naruto, Sakura, and Sai. Eventually, Naruto is drawn into battle with Orochimaru, eventually consumed by the Nine Tails as the boy is transformed into four-tailed manifestation of the Tailed Beast. Consumed mentally, Naruto attacks Orochimaru before Yamato uses his unique abilities to suppress the Nine Tails and returns Naruto to his normal state. By then, Naruto learns of the injury he inflicted on Sakura while under the Nine Tails's influence. Meanwhile, Sai joins Orochimaru on behalf of Danzo's organization, The Foundation, and is escorted to Orochimaru's lair with Team Kakashi following him.
- Naruto manga volume 32
Views: 4151
Though Kakashi is left bedridden upon his return to Konoha from his battle with Deidara, he makes plans for Naruto and Sakura to meet with Sasori's spy in the hopes that they will be able to retrieve the final member of the original Team 7: Sasuke Uchiha. Danzo Shimura of Konoha's council, fearing the Akatsuki might try to capture Naruto for the Nine-Tailed Demon Fox sealed within him, assigns Sai to join Team Kakashi with Tsunade responding to it by assigning Yamato as the group's temporary leader. But Yamato has trouble with Naruto and Sakura having difficulty working with Sai. Eventually arriving to their destination, Yamato goes to meet the spy alone with the rest of Team Kakashi remain in the shadows as backup. But as Yamato begins to question the spy, Kabuto Yakushi, about Orochimaru's base of operations, Orochimaru himself shows up to end their discussion.
- Naruto manga volume 31
Views: 6189
Backed into a corner, Sasori resorts to his Performance of a Hundred Puppets to overwhelm Sakura and Chiyo. But when Sakura blocks an attack meant for her, Chiyo manages to pierce Sasori through the heart before healing Sakura's injuries. As a reward to Sakura for surviving, Sasori tells her in his dying breath of the spy has within Orochimaru's ranks that he is to meet. Elsewhere, Naruto and Kakashi succeed in retrieving Gaara's body from Deidara, who escapes them by faking his death. After they regroup with Chiyo, Sakura, and Team Guy, Sakura tries to revive Gaara, though Shukaku's extraction has resulted in his death. As Naruto mourns for Gaara, Chiyo begins transferring her life energy to Gaara's body, restoring him to life at the cost of her own. The group honors Chiyo's memory and then returns home. But later, Sasori's ring is found by Zetsu's subordinate Tobi who wants to join the Akatsuki.
- Naruto manga volume 30
Views: 5418
In order for Team Kakashi to gain entry to the Akatsuki's lair, Team Guy is forced to split up in order to take down a barrier over the entrance. Though they accomplish this task, the members of Team Guy are forced to deal with a number of booby traps left for them. As for Team Kakkashi, they find Sasori and Deidara along with Gaara's lifeless body. Deidara flies off with Gaara's body, leading Naruto and Kakashi away as Sakura and Chiyo to deal with Sasori and his various puppets. Sakura's immense strength and Chiyo's own skills with puppetry, however, are more than capable of dealing with his puppets.