Chapter 245: "Naruto's Homecoming!!

" – Starts Part 2 of the

Naruto series. Naruto and Jiraiya have returned to Konoha Village after
being away for two and half years training. Naruto meets Kakashi and
presents him with Jiraiya's new book Icha Icha Tactics. Kakashi
remarks that Naruto has grown and as the three ninja walk through
town Naruto notices Sakura. Both are surprised at each others
development and Kakashi decides to see how much they've grown by
having them attempt the bell test again.

Chapter 246: "Growth of the Two!!" – The remaining members of

Team 7 return to the spot of the first bell test and prepare themselves
for battle. Kakashi tells the two ninja they are no longer his students
and are his equals. For that reason he will take them seriously and use
his Sharingan. Naruto and Sakura go on the attack but both are unable
to get the upper hand. When Kakashi hides underground, Sakura uses
her new training from Tsunade to strike the ground and reveal the
hidden Jounin. Fighting into the night Naruto and Sakura can not get a
bell until Naruto decides to play dirty and ruin the ending to Icha Icha
Tactics. By forcing Kakashi to cover his ears and close his eyes, Naruto
and Sakura finally get their bells.

Chapter 247: "Those Who Invade the Sand" – Introduces Sasori

and Deidara. Naruto and Sakura walk through Konoha and meet
Temari and Shikamaru. Shikamaru tells Naruto all the Rookie 9 and
Sand Genin have advanced in rank to at least Chuunin, with Temari,
Kankurou and Neji become Jounin and Gaara becoming Kazekage. This
shocks Naruto as he is the only Genin left. We then travel to the Wind
Country where Hidden Sand prepares their defense against the threat
of Akatsuki. Outside the village two members of Akatsuki begin their
moves to remove the villages protection.

Chapter 248: "The Ambush on the Sand...!!" – As the Akatsuki

member begins to hover and run recon over the village, he releases
small spider origami-like creatures which take out the Sands' lookouts.
Seeing the bird fly through the air, Gaara leaves his office to confront
him. Gaara is completely at home in the environment and lives up to
the Kazekage name, using all the sand to send tendrils to attack his
opponent. The Akatsuki sends another salvo of small explosive birds,
but Gaara goes into his protective shell. Launching his signature
attacks, Gaara manages to engulf his opponent in sand and then crush
his left arm.
Chapter 249: "As the Kazekage...!!" – With his left arm crushed,
the Akatsuki member creates a bird with his right hand to fly on. He
then pulls out his speciality, another bird. Kankurou, Baki and other
ninja have arrived to watch the battle above. Kankurou reflects on the
years previous, when Gaara stated he wanted to forge a new path and
leave his solitude behind; to have his life acknowledged and
appreciated by others as Kazekage. A goal inspired by the one who
changed him, Uzumaki Naruto. We return to the present and the
Akatsuki member has launched the bird, which transforms into a large
bomb aimed at the village itself. Using the remainder of his powers,
Gaara shields the village from the blast with a massive amount of sand
drawn from the desert. This bomb was just a distraction though,
because another smaller bomb has snuck up and into Gaara's
protective shell. His chakra expended, Gaara has little defense against
the bomb. It explodes knocking him unconscious and into the clutches
of the Akatsuki member. Being carried away, Gaara has lost the battle
but protected his village.

Chapter 250: "New Team, New Mission!!" – With Gaara being

carried off Kankurou runs off in pursuit of his brother's abductors.
Outside of the village Kankurou faces the two Akatsuki members. He
removes the scrolls on his back and summons three puppets: Karasu,
Kuroari and his new big puppet Sanshouuo. The newly named Akatsuki
member Deidara begins to fly off with Gaara but Karasu is sent to stop
him. It is caught in mid-air though by a large tail which has extended
from Sasori's cloak. Back in Konoha, Naruto and Sakura learn of their
new mission from Kakashi. Elsewhere in the village a messenger bird
arrives with news from Hidden Sand. As Naruto, Sakura and Kakashi
are before Tsunade to formally hear of their mission, a decoder ninja
arrives to tell the Hokage of the events in Hidden Sand. Hearing this
new surprising news, she gives the team a new mission: travel to
Hidden Sand to get a grasp of the situation, and back them up!...

Chapter 251: "To The Sand...!!" – Kankurou lies injured on the

ground, his puppets broken into various pieces. Sasori has poisoned
Kankurou and he tells him there is a reason why he was so
outmatched. Sasori is really Akasuna no Sasori (Sasori of the Red
Sand), the legendary puppet designer who fled Hidden Sand 20 years
earlier. Elsewhere Temari is enjoying a relaxing drink and notices her
tea cup has cracked. Back in Konoha, Tsunade and Iruka see Naruto
and his team off. Jiraiya appears and tells Naruto not to use "that
jutsu." Back in Suna, Baki and the other ninjas tend to Kankurou's
wounds, saying that the poison is new and he has only 3 days to live.
Their only hope being to consult the retired "siblings." Elsewhere
Sasori has met up with Deidara, and Sasori reflects that he too needs
to collect a "sacrifical power"...

Chapter 252: "Emotions, Racing...!!" – Introduces Chiyo and

Ebizou. Naruto and his team have met up with Temari and let her
know the bad news about her siblings. They then set off for Hidden
Sand. Naruto begins to talk about how Gaara never had anyone
precious to him while growing up unlike Naruto. They were both
viewed as monsters for having demons inside them. Temari takes
heart in Naruto's desire to help her brother. Back in Hidden Sand Baki
meets with Sasori's grandmother and her brother, he tells the two they
should help their village in this time of need. She declines saynig she
would rather just see her grandson. Baki then lets her know that is
covenient since he is part of Akatsuki. Back in the forest Sakura tells
Naruto she did research on Akatsuki and Itachi. She states if they find
Akatsuki they can get information on Orochimaru, and that will bring
them closer to Sasuke and to defeating his brother Itachi. Being full of
resolve, she states she will save both Sasuke and Naruto from
Aaktsuki.

Chapter 253: "Reliable Reinforcements...!!" – In the Hokage office

Tsunade notices that her tea cup has cracked and that she has won
money in the lottery, not a good sign for her. In Hidden Sand Baki and
Sasori's grandmother begin to argue over relying on outsiders for help,
with the older woman saying only Tsunade could help Kankurou now.
Baki states Tsunade couldn't leave the village but she sent a team to
help. In Hidden Leaf Tsunade tells Shizune they should dispatch
another team to lend help. We then see Ebisu, who is now the Jounin
sensei for the Genin Konohamaru Corps. Back in Hidden Sand Sakura
rushes to lend assistance to Kankurou. When the group enters the
room, Sasori's grandmother launches an attack against Kakashi, with
Naruto jumping in front to defend him. Sasori's grandmother is then
told to look at Kakashi again, he is not the White Fang of Konoha, who
was responsible for her son's death. Sakura manages to remove the
poison from Kankurou and get him on the path to recovery. In Konoha
Tsunade has gathered a new team to help Naruto, Gai and his former
students gear up to travel to Suna!...