Sasuke has returned, and the final battle of the Chunin Exams � Sasuke vs. Gaara � is now at hand. The greater plan of the Sand Village is also at hand, and during a key point in the Sasuke/Gaara battle they strike, commencing various aspects of an all-out attack on the Hidden Leaf Village. While Gai and Kakashi battle enemy forces in the arena, the instructors lead the children to safety, other security forces try to delay/thwart the attackers, and the Third Hokage confronts Orochimaru, the true mastermind of the attack, in a ninja-style rooftop cage match to the death. Meanwhile, Kakashi dispatches Naruto, Sakura, and Shikimaru to pursue Sasuke, who has gone after the wounded Gaara, a key component of the assault who has been carried away until he can recover. As the young ninja soon discover to their horror, there is a reason why Gaara was considered the lynchpin of the operation. In Gaara, Naruto finds his ultimate foe.