As the preliminaries to the third phase of the Journeyman Ninja Selection Exams begin, the student ninja face off against each other in no-holds-barred, one-on-one bouts. Deaf to Sakura's pleas to withdraw from the contest and despite the crippling effects of the curse placed on him by the nefarious Orochimaru, Sasuke enters the first match against one of the vicious Sound Ninja spies. But with his signature fighting techniques suddenly off-limits,

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At last, the finals of the third phase of the Chûnin Selection Exams begin! In the first battle, Naruto faces off against Neji, widely considered to be the most talented young ninja in Konohagakure. With his newfound ability to access the power of the Nine-Tailed Fox, can Naruto beat his genius opponent? Or will Neji overcome his family's troubled history to triumph in the match? Rated: T

NARUTO © 1999 by Masashi Kishimoto/SHUEISHA Inc.

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Naruto and Gaara face a common enemy in the Akatsuki.

"Naruto is a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He's got a wild sense of humor, but Naruto is completely serious about his mission to be the world's greatest ninja! As Madara uses his dominating power to fend off the Five Kage, Sasuke is reunited with his brother Itachi. Can the brothers put aside their differences and help each other out? When they come face to face with Kabuto, the man who revived Itachi from the dead, they'll...

"Orochimaru’s nefarious plans for Sasuke are revealed and Naruto vows to save his friend. But first he and the others must battle they mysterious Kimamaro, who has deadly past ties to The Sound Ninja Four!" -- Amazon.com

Naruto and Gaara face a common enemy in the Akatsuki.

In the village of Konohagakure, school is literally a battlefield where classmates are ninjas in training competing to become the greatest ninja in the land.