▪	RELEASED BY:		VIZ MEDIA
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		4:3 FULL SCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		325 MIN
		▪	RATING:		T
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		12/04/2007
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		12/21/2007
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

With the final round of the Chunin Exam only a month away, Naruto receives some special training from Jiraiya, one of the three legendary Sannin, to summon and master the chakra of the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit within him. Can Naruto turn this dangerous force into a strength and overcome the odds, against the formidable Neji?

Meanwhile, a dark plan that affects the fate of the Hidden Leaf Village begins to reveal itself as the much-anticipated match between Sasuke and Gaara draws near!

Contains episodes 53-65 on 3 DVDs. Look at the EXTRAS section for details about the limited edition.

REVIEW:
With the third round of the Chunin Exams over, the intrigue is only beginning. First there’s Naruto being trained by the Toad Sage Jiraiya, a rebellious free spirit right after Naruto’s own heart. But this unconventional sage has some hard lessons in store for Naruto. Despite the boisterous comedy the training at first provides, things get big when Chief Toad appears and Naruto must master his summoning jutsu or perish! When all is said and done, Naruto ends up in the hospital where not all is well. Gaara is sneaking around, Rock Lee is badly wounded, and those Sand Village people are up to no good. Just what is their agenda?

Round Four of the exams hits with some hard and personal battles. The much anticipated face-off between Negi and Naruto occurs. Naruto vowed to avenge what Negi had done to his cousin Hinata, and now it’s time for payback. But Naruto’s good intentions might hit the wall of Neji’s burning hatred for the Hidden Leaf Village. Fans will discover the harsh truth behind Neji’s hard ways during this grueling battle that spans three episodes.

This box set doesn’t only reveal disturbing truths about Neji. Gaara, one of the most enigmatic and unsettling characters so far in the series is seen under new light in these volumes. The truth behind the Sand Village’s reasons for entering the exam is revealed and the shadow of Orochimaru looms ever closer.

One of the fights that many viewers might find the most surprising is the match between Tenma and infamous slacker Shikamaru. Find out in these episodes just what makes him tick, what it takes to make him get serious, and the unexpected results of the match. Hands down though, the most eagerly awaited has to be the most anticipated match of all: Sasuke against Gaara. But the build up of that tension is left hanging on the last episode featuring Sasuke’s return just in time for the fight, so you’ll have to wait for the next box set for the fight itself. 

Along with the new, more suspenseful and often tense matches, there are the many revelations, both of characters such as Neji, Shikamaru, and Gaara, as well as reveals involving the ongoing storyline with Orochimaru’s nefarious plot. The set of episodes in this box set also feature all new opening and ending animation.

EXTRAS:
Bonus features include trailers of other Viz titles, a production art gallery, From Sketch to Screen:  Storyboard Comparison of Episode 56, and a sneak peek at the sixth box set. This set also has a collectible Naruto Storyboards Sketchbook for episode 58. This book contains the compete storyboards for the episode for a total of just under 80 pages of black and white raw artwork with the original Japanese notes. This book is exclusive to this box set. The packaging itself is soft yellow. The inside is a fold-out that contains all three discs and features large images in vivid color of Naruto, Jiraiya, Chief Toad, and Neji.

The limited edition of the fifth box set comes with a nicely detailed figuring of Chief Toad. This is the first of 6 collectible figurines exclusive to the limited edition box sets of Naruto.

IN SUMMARY:
Naruto uncut box set 5 features the commencement of the Fourth Round of the Chunin Exams. There are deeply personal fights such as Naruto versus Neji and the build up of Sasuke’s return to face-off against Gaara. Evil schemes are in the works, enemies are lurking in the shadows, and the final rounds of the Chunin Exams are finally at hand.