
When Tonton comes back to warn Tsunade, Naruto takes the initiative to find Shizune with Tonton's help. Shizune and her team encounter Mizuki, but all of them are defeated. Transcription: " Hashire Tonton! Omae no hana ga tayori dattebayo" ( Japanese: 走れトントン!お前の鼻が頼りだってばよ)

Naruto shows up and find the two jonin injured and defeated. Asuma and Kurenai are sent to interrogate Mizuki, but they run into trouble on the way. However, this time Orochimaru may be pulling the strings. Mizuki is back, and he's planning to break out of Konoha's Correctional Facility along with the help of Fujin and Raijin, the Legendary Stupid Brothers (changed to the Famous Idiot Brothers in the dub). With the events of the Rice Field Country behind them, everyone prepares for their training. Transcription: " Genkai shisetsu no san akunin" ( Japanese: 厳戒施設の三悪人) "The Three Villains from the Maximum Security Prison" The English version replaces the endings with an instrumental version of "Rise" by Jeremy Sweet and Ian Nickus. "I'm Always by Your Side") by Amadori (used for episodes 154 to 166), "Parade" ( パレード, Parēdo) by Chaba (used for episodes 167 to 178), and " Yellow Moon" by Akeboshi (used for episodes 179 to 183).

The ending themes are "Speed" by Analog Fish (used until episode 153), "Soba ni Iru Kara" ( そばにいるから, lit. "Discord Sateraito") by Snowkel (used for episodes 158 to 177), and "Re:member" by Flow (used for episodes 178 to 183).

Sony Pictures Entertainment collected the episodes in a total of twelve DVD volumes, each containing four episodes, between Januand December 6, 2006. The English dub was shown on both Cartoon Network's Toonami and YTV's Bionix programming blocks from February 23 to July 26, 2008. The episodes aired in Japan from Jto on TV Tokyo. Based on Masashi Kishimoto's manga series, the season follows Naruto and his friends assigning on different short missions, after Sasuke Uchiha joins up with Orochimaru. The fourth season of the Naruto anime series, titled "4th Stage" in Japan, is directed by Hayato Date, and produced by Studio Pierrot and TV Tokyo.
