Given an ultimatum between being locked up or spending the night at a hot springs by Yamato, the team chooses to visit the springs to improve team cohesion. Sakura is shocked to see Yamato using the secret techniques that only the First Hokage was said to possess. Seeing the tension in the team, Yamato decides they need to improve on teamwork and uses the Wood Style Jutsu to create a wooden cage, threatening to lock the trio up unless they behave. Sakura and Naruto come down hard at Sai for making fun of their former teammate, Sasuke. Team Kakashi heads out for the Tenchi Bridge. Finally, the new Team Kakashi sets off on their new mission to capture and intercept the spy in Orochimaru's subordinates, and gather information about Sasuke. Jiraiya then meets with Tsunade and Yamato in Kakashi's hospital room to brief Yamato on the Nine-Tailed Fox sealed within Naruto, detailing the "demon fox's cloak", and revealing a scar on his chest he got from Naruto, when the latter ascended to a Four-Tailed form. While preparing to set off, Sai receives an envelope from an ANBU Root shinobi containing secret orders from Danzo. Yamato takes leadership of Team Kakashi, while Sai, devoid of any human feelings or emotions, insults both Naruto and Sakura. Later, Naruto and Sakura meet their new team members, and Naruto is immediately angered upon Sai's appearance. With Kakashi in the hospital, Tsunade temporarily replaces him with ANBU member Yamato and tells him to keep an eye on Sai. But she is still forced to compromise with Danzo by adding Sai as a new member to Team Kakashi. Tsunade declines, and promises to protect Konoha with her own life if Naruto is captured. They propose to Tsunade to keep Naruto in Konoha and not send him to missions outside the village. Concerned that Akatsuki might soon come to Konoha looking for the Nine-Tailed Fox, the village elders confront Tsunade. Unable to identify Sai, Naruto, Choji and Shikamaru attempt to capture him, but Sai withdraws.
Later, just as Choji agrees to help Naruto, the two and Shikamaru are attacked by Sai. He runs into Team 8, but they are unable to help, as they are assigned a mission of their own. As four days had already passed, Naruto realises the need of another teammate and so, starting searching Konoha for a willing recruit. In Konoha, Kakashi rests in a hospital, while Sakura tells Tsunade about the information the dying Akatsuki member, Sasori gave her: that he was supposed to meet with one of his spies from within Orochimaru's ranks in ten days at the Tenchi Bridge.