Naruto: When Does Sasuke Leave the Hidden Leaf Village? (& When Does He Come Back?)
One of the main protagonists/antagonists in the ‘Naruto‘ series is Uchiha Sasuke, the last living member of his notable clan. His brother Itachi was his hero, but Sasuke’s life changed drastically after one tragic night. It put much pressure on the young boy, and even the best influences couldn’t save Sasuke’s hunger for revenge. The motivation to kill his brother led him from his Village of Konoha, and after years of fighting, the Last Uchiha returned to his home. So, let’s see in what episodes did Sasuke leave (and return) to Konoha.
When and why did Sasuke leave The Hidden Leaf Village?
One of the most important characters in the ‘Naruto’ series is Uchiha Sasuke. The Uchiha Clan was one of the most notable clans in all of Ninja World and the one that carried the infamous kekkei genkai dōjutsu called Sharingan that is really powerful in the ‘Naruto’ series – it can detect other shinobi’s chakra, can easily copy other jutsus, and ultimately, enhances the perception of the bearer.
However, the dōjutsu has a strong connection to feelings, and if a Uchiha experiences it, the bearer will awaken the Sharingan. You are probably wondering why I am mentioning Sharingan in this section. When Sasuke first awakened his Sharingan, he experienced a strong emotion – anger and despair. When Sasuke encountered his older brother Itachi and realized that he had killed all members of his clan, including their parents, Sasuke vowed to kill his brother and consequently awakened his Sharingan.
Sasuke struggled a lot after that tragic event despite being at the top of his class in the Academy and one of the best students attending the school. That wasn’t enough for young Sasuke, who wanted immediately to become stronger than his brother and get revenge on his clan by killing him. However, Sasuke felt his progress was slow despite being with his teammates and friends of Team 7. Naruto considered Sasuke a rival, but the Uchiha was always absent and focused on one goal.
During the Konoha Crush and Chuunin exam story arcs of Naruto, Part One, Sasuke encounters one of the three famous Sannins and now an “enemy of the village,” Orochimaru. The former Konoha shinobi was known for performing high-risk and unethical experiments on live people to find a way of becoming immortal – to learn all world secrets in his lifetime.
He marks Sasuke with his Cursed Seal and promptly makes the young Uchiha his host body if Orochimaru feels like taking over. After encountering the Sound Four, which is also an experiment of Orochimaru, Sasuke is convinced that Orochimaru will be able to mentor him to power and the ultimate revenge against his brother Itachi. Sasuke decides to leave Konohagakure during the night. Still, Sakura intercepts him by saying she loves him and is willing to go with him and help him seek his revenge.
He thanks her and knocks her out, and the 107th episode of the Naruto series, and the beginning of the Sasuke Recovery Mission story arc, marks the day Sasuke left The Hidden Leaf Village. That episode changed everything for Team 7, and the trio of Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi started working on finding their teammate and friend back.
However, the hunger for power and revenge was too strong, and Team 7 was disbanded for most of the series. In that tenure, Sasuke managed to become a member of Taka, letting Orochimaru experiment on his body, encounter Itachi, find out the truth behind his deeds, and make mad most of the Naruto fanbase.
For me, Sasuke’s character was cruel and had mostly unredeemable traits. Still, the brief moment of Sasuke’s return to Konohagakure and the ultimate comeback of the Last Uchiha marked the character’s journey as the endgame. Let’s find out what episodes of the Naruto series we are talking about.
When and why did Sasuke return to The Hidden Leaf Village?
As we already mentioned, Sasuke had the whole “going full evil” arc going on until Itachi changed his mind before finally resting in the Pure Land. The change of heart prompts Sasuke to revive Orochimaru and, together with Team Taka, go to Naka Shrine and release the souls of the first Four Hokage, which will help the Allied Shinobi Forces in the fight against Tobi and Madara Uchiha.
The brief return to Konohagakure occurs in the 365th episode of the Naruto series. Orochimaru uses Impure World Reincarnation to revive the Hokages, and Sasuke, with Team Taka, finally goes on the journey to the Fourth War battle. Sasuke’s change of heart includes protecting Konoha like his brother Itachi did and proceeds to help take on the Ten-Tails Beast, Tobi, and Madara Uchiha.
The arrival to the battle is iconic, and Team 7 is again back together. Of course, White Zetsu betrays Madara, and Kaguya, the creator of the shinobi world, is summoned as the new opponent to the shinobi world. Team 7 almost lost, but with the help of Hagoromo and gaining Sage of Six Paths Powers, the team beat Kaguya and sealed her with Six Paths – Chibaku Tensei.
Of course, in true Sasuke fashion (or Kishimoto), he decides to kill all the current Kage and become the one “true” Hokage. Moreover, he wants to become the leader of the new world by severing connections to the past, including his former friends’ and teammates’ lives. Naruto is enraged, and the duo fights in the Valley of the Death, where Sasuke and Naruto battled before Uchiha left Konoha.
Long story short, Naruto and Sasuke are exhausted, and in the fight, they lose their hands, which marks the last true fight of the Naruto series between two rivals, teammates, and, most importantly, friends. Sasuke admits defeat and starts crying.
Of course, The Unison Sign, more specifically, the 478th episode of the Naruto series, marked the official return of Sasuke to the Konoha Village. An emotional moment for Team 7 and Sasuke’s chance at redemption – to fix everything he destroyed, blinded by rage and revenge. Sasuke would later help Naruto renovate Konohagakure, marry Sakura, and build towards the peace of the Ninja World.
Have something to add? Let us know in the comments below!
