Set two and a half years after Naruto left the Hidden Leaf Village to undergo a strict training regiment with his mentor Jiraiya, Ultimate Ninja 4: Naruto Shippuden lets players experience this new storyline for the first time. Returning to help recover his rival Sasuke from the evil Orochimaru, Naruto is reunited with all his old friends, only to find that a mysterious organization known as Akatsuki now poses an even more ominous threat to the Village.