The epic ninja adventure that became a global phenomenon! Naruto is a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He’s got a wild sense of humor, but Naruto is completely serious about his mission to be the world’s greatest ninja! Containing volumes 7, 8 and 9 of Naruto ! Naruto’s world begins to change forever when his teammate Sasuke is infected by the sinister mark of Orochimaru, the rogue ninja. But there’s no time for dwelling on what may someday come to pass as the Chunin Exams kick into high gear. Does Naruto have what it takes to become a journeyman ninja? And if not, can he really ever expect to save his friends or protect his village? This could be his last chance to find out! Author/artist Masashi Kishimoto was born in 1974 in rural Okayama Prefecture, Japan. Like many kids, he was first inspired to become a manga artist in elementary school when he read Dragon Ball . After spending time in art college, he won the Hop Step Award for new manga artists with his story Karakuri . After considering various genres for his next project, Kishimoto decided on a story steeped in traditional Japanese culture. His first version of Naruto , drawn in 1997, was a one-shot story about fox spirits; his final version, which debuted in Weekly Shonen Jump in 1999, quickly became the most popular ninja manga in the world. The series would also spawn multiple anime series, movies, novels, video games and more. Having concluded the series in late 2014, Masashi Kishimoto has kept himself busy this year with the side story Naruto: The Seventh Hokage and the Scarlet Spring and writing the story for the latest Naruto movie, Boruto: Naruto the Movie , both of which will focus on the title character's son, Boruto.