This is the "Bridge Builder" arc.
One of the greatest fears for new Naruto viewers is the infamous "filler content." Unlike Naruto Shippuden , where a massive block of filler episodes occurs at the end, Naruto Season 1 Total Episodes
That is the straightforward numerical answer. When the original Naruto anime (2002-2007) was first released in North America by Viz Media and aired on Cartoon Network’s Toonami, the series was split into five distinct seasons. Season 1 specifically covers the first 52 episodes of the series, ending on a major cliffhanger that sets the stage for the Chūnin Exams. This is the "Bridge Builder" arc
The entire first series (pre-Shippuden) contains 220 episodes in total. Season 1 Breakdown Naruto Season 1 Total Episodes