The story begins with Naruto Uzumaki being falsely accused of an attempted assassination on the Fourth Raikage and the murder of high-ranking ninja from the Hidden Cloud and Hidden Stone Villages. Stripped of his rank by Lady Tsunade, he is sent to Hozuki Castle, an inescapable prison in the Hidden Grass Village designed for rogue shinobi.
found the first half "sloppily animated" with off-model characters, though they noted a "marked improvement" during the second-half action sequences. The story begins with Naruto Uzumaki being falsely
: Upon arrival, the warden, Mui, applies a "Celestial Prison" seal that drains Naruto's chakra and causes intense pain if he attempts to use jutsu. he is sent to Hozuki Castle