Anime Synopsis

1.    Exposition Arc: Episodes 1-5, covers the introduction of Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Kakashi, followed by the initial formation of Team 7. This small arc explores the         collision between one's duty to their role as ninja and to their comrades, ultimately concluding that the latter is more important.

2.    Wave Country Arc: Episodes 6-19, covers Team 7's first major mission of protecting an expert bridge builder from a shipping magnate whose oppressing financial             stranglehold over the country would be broken if the bridge were to be completed. In this arc, Team 7 comes to terms with the difficult life of a shinobi, who must serve        as a tool and see his friends die in front of him in the battlefield. In the aftermath, Naruto decides that he won't be an emotionless tool and become a ninja in his own         way.

3.    Chūnin Exam Arc: Episodes 20-67, covers Team 7's entrance to the Chūnin exam and the exposition of several key characters, such as Orochimaru, Kabuto, Jiraiya          and the "Rookie Nine" (Naruto's old classmates). The arc is strongly tinged with clashes of diametrically opposed philosophies, particularly hard work vs. genius and fate     vs. free will.

4.    Invasion of Konoha Arc: Episodes 68-80, covers the climax of Orochimaru's conspiracy to destroy Konoha, with a strong emphasis on the difference between fighting         for one's own selfish ambitions as opposed to fighting for the sake of your important people. The invasion ultimately fails when in a climatic battle, the Third Hokage         sacrifices his life to seal all of Orochimaru's techniques.

5.    Return of Itachi Arc: Episodes 81-85, covers a short visit of Sasuke's older brother, Itachi (and his partner, Kisame) to Konoha, in search of Naruto. Sasuke, however,     has his own plans, and is determined to take this chance to avenge his clan. This arc serves as exposition for the organization Akatsuki and their interest in the Tailed         Beasts, and sheds some light on the relationship between Itachi and Sasuke.

6.    Tsunade's Decision Arc: Episodes 86-101, covers Naruto and Jiraiya's search for Jiraiya and Orochimaru's old teammate, Tsunade, so they can appeal to her in hopes     she takes the role of Fifth Hokage. Orochimaru also appeals to Tsunade, promising to revive Tsunade's deceased brother and boyfriend if she sides with him and cures     his arms. The dilemma Tsunade faces emphasizes the difference between obsessively dwelling over the past and remembering it while looking towards the future.

7.    Tea Country Race Arc: Episodes 102-106 (anime only), covers a small stand-alone adventure where Team 7 help Morino Ibiki's younger brother, Morino Idate, win a         race with very high stakes, and learn that he is more than the coward he thought he was.

8.    Renegade Sasuke Arc: Episodes 107-135, covers Sasuke's decision to seek Orochimaru for more power so he can avenge his clan, and his flight from the leaf country.     The arc deals with the meaning of friendship and commitment to one's comrades, as each of the squad sent after Sasuke has their own ideals guiding their bonds. This     arc concludes Part 1 of the Naruto manga series.

9.    Infiltrating Orochimaru's Lair Arc: Episodes 136-141 (anime only), covers Jiraiya, Naruto and Sakura following up on a lead which points to what is allegedly                     Orochimaru's lair. Though ultimately the place turns out to be long deserted, the experience of standing helpless while Naruto fights strengthens Sakura's resolve to         become stronger, and she asks Tsunade to be her subordinate and apprentice. (Note: This decision is based on the manga)

10.    Mizuki Strikes Back Arc: Episodes 142-147 (anime only), covers the return of Mizuki - a minor villain from the very first episode - who is after Iruka and Naruto, who         originally defeated him and foiled his plan to steal a crucial scroll from the village. It is revealed that Mizuki was another pawn of Orochimaru, but in the end an                 abandoned pawn and he fails to provide any leads to Orochimaru's whereabouts. (Note: Part of the beginning of episode 142 is based on the manga)

11.    Bikōchū Arc: Episodes 148-151 (anime only), covers a joint quest of Naruto and Team 8 in search of a legendary bug which should be able to locate Sasuke by the         faintest scent he left behind. This arc emphasises Hinata's growth in character and ability.

12.    Raiga Arc: Episodes 152-157 (anime only), covers a mission Naruto and Team Gai go onto in an attempt to capture the manic Raiga, former member of the Seven         Swordsmen of the Mist, who is terrorizing a small village and might have information on Akatsuki member Kisame (and Orochimaru by proxy).

13.    Filler Arc: Episodes 158-161 (anime only), covers a couple of one-shot episodes involving Konohamaru and his gang and two outsiders impersonating Lee and Gai.         Also covers a 2-parter involving the bounty hunter Sazanami.

14.    Bird Country Arc: Episodes 162-167 (anime only), covers a trip to the Bird Country. Naruto, Neji and Tenten must solve the mystery of the ghost of Noroimusha. They     soon get involved in Bird Country's inner conflicts.

15.    Burning Pot: Episode 168 (anime only), a one-shot episode involving Naruto, Sakura and Choji helping out Ichiraku's owner fight Ryounin (Ryouri ninja aka Cooking     Ninja) to rescue his daughter.

   Naruto has a large and colorful cast of characters, running a gamut of detailed histories and complex personalities and allowing many of them their fair share in the spotlight; they are also seen to grow and mature with the series, as it spans several years. Fittingly enough for a coming-of-age saga, Naruto's world constantly expands and thickens, and his social relations are no exception - during his introduction he has only his teacher and the village's leader for sympathetic figures, but as the story progresses, more and more people become a part of his story.

   The students at the Ninja Academy, where the story begins, are split up into teams of three and assigned an experienced sensei. These core teams form a basis for the characters' interactions later in the series, where characters are chosen for missions for their team's strength and complementary skills; Naruto's Team 7 becomes the social frame where Naruto is acquainted with Uchiha Sasuke and Haruno Sakura, and their sensei Hatake Kakashi, forming the core of his world-in-the-making. The other three-man teams of his former classmates form another such layer, as Naruto connects with them to various degrees, learning of their motives, vulnerabilities and aspirations and often relating them to his own. This motive of threes is not limited to the comrades Naruto's age - groups in the story in general come in threes and multiples of three with very few exceptions.

   Sensei-student relationships play a significant role in the series; Naruto has a number of mentors with whom he trains and learns, most notably Jiraiya, and there are often running threads of tradition and tutelage binding together several generations. These role models provide guidance for their students not only in the ninja arts but also in a number of Japanese aesthetics and philosophical ideals. Techniques, ideals and mentalities noticably run in families, Naruto often being exposed to the abilities and traditions of generation-old clans in his village when friends from his own age group demonstrate them, or even achieve improvements of their own; it is poignantly noted that Naruto's generation is particularly talented and promising.

   Many of the greater lingering mysteries of the series are questions of character motives and identity. The legacy of Naruto's parents, the goals that guide Yakushi Kabuto, the objective of the mysterious organization Akatsuki and the identity of its mysterious leader - these are only a few of the fundamental unanswered questions of "who", and by proxy, "why", currently at the core of the series. The story is remarkably character-driven; almost all of the important events taking place owe the majority of their eventuality to somebody having made a choice somewhere rather than to blind circumstance.

   Character naming is consistent with traditional Japanese names, family name first (in the English anime the characters' names are reversed, so that the their personal names are first as common in most western societies). The names often borrow from Japanese myth and literature, or are otherwise elaborate puns; often there is a noticeable influence of the story behind the name shouldered by the character.