The Hidden Leaf begin preparing for the Chunin Exams. Tsunade orders Kakashi to personally deliver an invitation to the Hidden Rain Village and, at the same time, gather intel. The Mist, Cloud and Stone send their regrets, but the Hidden Waterfall and Hidden Grass accept. Ino and Choji ask Sakura to join their three-man team as a stand-in for Shikamaru, who is already a chunin. But Sakura is hesitant and turns them down.
Elenco: Junko Takeuchi , Chie Nakamura , Kazuhiko Inoue , Akira Ishida , Hideo Ishikawa , Jouji Nakata , Kōichi Tōchika , Keiko Nemoto , Kujira , Masako Katsuki , Masashi Ebara , Nobuo Tobita , Nobutoshi Canna , Romi Park , Shinji Kawada , Tomoyuki Dan , Noriaki Sugiyama , Rikiya Koyama , Satoshi Hino , Nana Mizuki .