Episode Summaries

Ahead of entering the Demon Desert, Shira vows to repay Gaara and live up to his expectations by making sure all of the Suna teams pass, while Team Guy comes up with a strategy to counter their opponents. As the genin deploy into the Demon Desert upon the signal, Asuma and Kurenai question Sunagakure's approach of forbidding them to enter the desert. Guy receives a message from Tsunade to protect the Kazekage upon receiving intelligence that his assassins are on the move.

Within the desert, Neji is puzzled upon failing to detect the other teams before realising that they have been caught under a genjutsu. After breaking free from the genjutsu, Neji detects a Suna team up ahead, and engages in battle with them. However, Team Shira arrives to buy enough time for Team Goji to escape. Giving their opponents no time to relent, Sen entraps Team Guy in a genjutsu once again, as Neji's plans backfire. Meanwhile, Team Shira rendezvous with two of the Suna teams and instructs them to retrieve a scroll from the other teams. Ultimately, Shira and his team-mates are betrayed, and find themselves cornered, but Team Guy arrives to their rescue. Questioning Team Shira's motives, Sen reveals to Team Guy that Shira had only recently become a shinobi. Seemingly confused as to why someone of his calibre had only become a shinobi, Lee comes to the conclusion that he and Shira are in many ways alike — due to the fact that both the two men have no talent in ninjutsu and genjutsu.