Original network. TXN TV TokyoEnglish network. Original run. October 3, 2. February 8, 2. 00. Episodes. 22. 0 List of episodesAnime television series. Naruto Shippuden. Directed by. Hayato Date. Masaaki KumagaiEpisodes 2. Yasuaki KurotsuTwo and a half years later, Naruto returns from his training with Jiraiya. The Akatsuki starts kidnapping the hosts of the powerful Tailed Beasts. Team 7 and other ninja fight against them and search for their teammate Sasuke. The Akatsuki succeeds in capturing and extracting seven of the Tailed Beasts, killing all the hosts except Gaara the host of the One Tail who is resurrected by an Elder of the Sand village of which he is the new Kage at the cost of her life. Meanwhile, Sasuke betrays Orochimaru and faces Itachi to take revenge. After Itachi dies in battle, Sasuke learns from the Akatsuki founder Tobi that Itachi received an order from Konohas superiors to destroy his clan to prevent a coup dtat. He accepted it on the condition that he would be allowed to leave Sasuke alive. Saddened by this revelation, Sasuke joins the Akatsuki to kill Konohas superiors and destroy Konoha in revenge. As Konoha ninjas defeat several Akatsuki members, the Akatsuki figurehead leader, Nagato, kills Jiraiya and devastates Konoha, but Naruto defeats and redeems him, earning the villages respect and admiration. With Nagatos eventual death, Tobi, disguised as Madara Uchiha one of Konohas founding fathers, announces that he wants to get all nine Tailed Beasts to perform an illusion powerful enough to control all humanity, to create world peace. The leaders of the five ninja villages refuse to help him and instead join forces to confront Tobi and his allies.