Author's Note
Masashi Kishimoto, born in 1974 in a small town in Okayama Prefecture in southwestern Japan, began drawing his own manga at the age of 16. He currently works for Shueisha Inc. for the Weekly Shonen Jump magazine.

Back Cover Text
About the series: The noodle soup-loving young ninja Naruto has a goal: he wants to become the strongest ninja in the world! But first, he and his friends Sakura and Sasuke must pass the tough trials. That alone would be difficult enough, but it gets worse. The three find themselves caught in a shameful betrayal, orchestrated by the rogue Orochimaru. The survival of the entire village is at stake... Content of Volume 15: Sasuke stands no chance against Gaara, especially since Orochimaru's cursed seal paralyzes him. But before Gaara can kill him, Naruto intervenes. It turns out that Naruto and Gaara are not so different after all, and a fierce battle ensues... From this volume on, there is great background information about Naruto in the Naruto Navigator!.