How's it going?
Are you able to control the Nine-Tails Chakra okay, Tenzo?
There are no problems so far.
I mean, please call me Yamato, not Tenzo.
Okay, okay.
Yes! It cut quite a bit!
Damn it! And mine still hasn't cut at all!
I'm much better than you guys!
You're me, I'm telling you.
Yes!
Damn it... That me over there's pretty good...
I've got to do something...
Say! Say!
I've got something I want to ask you, Kakashi Sensei...
What is it?
Is there anyone in the Leaf who has the wind property?
You going to ask about the trick to it?
Yeah!
Well, you could say there's a person...
Right about now he's probably playing shogi...
Check.
Oh! I lost again!
Our next end-of-mission party's on you, Sensei.
Right...
Hey!
Asuma Sensei!
Oh, it's Naruto.
Is there something you need?
As it happens, there's something I want to ask you...
Writhe
The trick to the wind Change in Chakra Nature, huh...?
Right!
Don't tell me you're doing Chakra Change in Chakra Nature training?
Yeah!
You've got to have a sense for that kind of thing...
Can you handle it?
That's why I came here to ask Asuma Sensei.
You've got the same wind Chakra property as me, right, Sensei?
I never thought you'd have the wind Chakra property, Naruto...
This is indeed a shock.
Asuma Sensei, please teach me the trick to it...right away.
Let me see...
I could think about it if you'd pay the barbeque bill
for Team Asuma's next end-of-mission party...
Oh! That's dirty!
What do you think?
If that's it... Just enough, huh?
I'll lose everything I've got, though...
I have no choice. It's for my training!
All right! It's a deal.
This is my Chakra Blade...
This blade is made from a special metal
that absorbs the owner's Chakra property.
That's awesome...
Here, take it.
Try pouring your Chakra into the blade.
Right.
My Chakra...kind of comes out different than yours, Asuma Sensei.
Listen up.
The wind Change in Chakra Nature splits Chakra in two
and grinds them together.
Grinds them together?
And then you build up the two Chakra as if steadily honing them.
As if steadily ...honing them...
That's right...
The trick is steady ...and sharp.
Say... um... I was thinking...
What is it?
Even though we've got Ninja Tools to start with...
is there a point to this wind Change in Chakra Nature?
Wouldn't it be quicker just to cut with something that cuts right from the start?
And is there a point...
to pouring cutting Chakra into a weapon that already cuts?
Okay. I'll show you whether or not there's a point to that...
Listen up.
We'll try throwing these Chakra Blades toward that tree at the same time.
What for?
Don't worry about that. Let's go.
One, two--!
Th-That's awesome!
It went all the way through...
not just the tree but into that really hard rock and got lodged inside...
It's dangerous, so I held back just now.
It would've gone right through the rock if I'd gone all out.
The quality of the blade will determine the result
in the case of Ninja of the same level getting into a serious battle.
The wind Property has the most attack power in close to medium-range battles.
There really aren't that many... wind types.
Oh, really...?
Come on by if there's ever anything else you want to ask me...
But you'll have to pay for the barbeque.
Right!
Thanks!
Oh, it was a Shadow Clone?
That Naruto...
He forgot that we've got Choji on our team.
That's harsh...
Can he really create something like a new Jutsu
before the Akatsuki start moving into high gear?
We'll see...
Wouldn't it be best to keep Naruto hidden somewhere
before making contact with the Akatsuki?
That's up to the Fifth Hokage to decide...
I get it! So that's how to do it!
All right!
- Let's do it! - Let's do it!
It appears he found out the trick to it from Asuma.
He's already doing a good job
of applying the attributes of his Shadow Clones, that Naruto...
Naruto...
When a friend is putting extra effort into work or a hobby,
you should casually bring them some refreshment.
He's got more problems... than extra effort...
That's a first for you, going with a climbing silver right off the bat.
Let's take it nice and slow. We've got the time, after all.
It's an advance guard for breaking through the enemy's defense.
Sometimes you have to be able to make moves like this.
I thought you didn't like moves like that. Just like me.
Sacrifice is required in order to protect the king when your opponent is skilled.
Is something the matter?
It's nothing...
I just now started to understand the importance of the "king."
Well... The game is over if you get your king taken in Shogi.
If you were to liken the Hidden Leaf Shinobi to a Shogi piece...
Shikamaru... In the end, you would be a knight.
Why?
Although weak in strength,
a knight can advance by jumping over pieces.
This unique movement resembles your flexible thinking.
Then what would you be?
I'm nothing. I'm just...
A sacrificial piece...huh?
Then... do you know who the "king" is?
The Hokage, right?
That's what I thought until just recently...
But it's not like that.
Then who is it?
You'll understand when the time comes.
You dodge well...
My attack speed is the slowest in the Akatsuki.
I just can't hit anything, can I?
I see... I knew you guys were Akatsuki...
You're the only one left.
Well, you're pretty good.
Hey, Hidan.
She's the Two-Tailed Jinchuriki. You'll die if you get careless.
Don't give me that, Kakuzu!
I'd like her to kill me anyway.
All right! We'll go ahead and have you accumulate experience.
Ruminate in your head on the training and break the Jutsu!
- Right! - Right!
All right! Let's go!
I can manage this... I'll be able to do it soon...
The drawback is that
mental fatigue is accumulated along with the experience...
I knew that from the start...
But...I'm almost there...
Let's take a short break, Naruto.
This isn't the time to be taking it easy!
I'm okay, Kakashi Sensei...
Multi Shadow Clone Jutsu!
What...? Oh! Hey... Just a minute!
Whoa...That's incredible...
You're really working hard, Naruto...
Well, I guess with his stamina, he'll be fine.
I sure was young... back then...
Good work... on the Feudal Lord escort.
What's your problem?!
I protected the king, the Feudal Lord just as you told me to do!
Why don't you even attempt to acknowledge me?!
King...huh...?
How about acknowledging me at least a little bit, Dad?!
You don't understand...
how difficult and important a battle to protect the king is.
I understand that people died.
But sacrifice comes with a Shinobi mission.
You can't possibly understand now...
the true significance of protecting the king.
You just don't want to acknowledge me!
Now I get the feeling...
I kind of understand what you were talking about.
I'm sorry I left the Hidden Leaf... and just did whatever I wanted.
I have no regrets, though.
Now I feel like it wasn't so bad being born into the Sarutobi Clan.
You properly fulfilled your duty as leader of the village...
You were a cool dad...
- Yes! - Yes!
I did it! Am I awesome or what?!
At this rate, I'll master a new Jutsu just like that!
No...You're making fast progress because of this training approach.
It's thanks to my amazing idea...
It's also thanks quite a bit to me, Kakashi Senpai...
More importantly, I'm ready to get right to my next training...
Well! You can do it because it's you.
Naruto!
Yamato, let's take a short break while we're at it.
Understood...
Will Naruto be okay...?
He should be fine if he rests a bit...
Man, this kid's really something else...
Umm...
Hm...? What is it, Sakura...?
Lady Tsunade wants to see you...
Attacks by what is suspected to be the same two-man Shinobi team
in seven locations in five neighboring lands have been verified.
Although they have not yet succeeded in invading the Land of Fire,
judging from their line of action, it's only a matter of time...
Lady Tsunade?
So the Akatsuki Organization has gone into action.
Let's do this.
Hold it.
Before doing that...
I must pray to my god.
You're always such a pain in the neck.
It's a pain in the neck for me, too.
But the commandments are strict, so I have no choice, do I?!
You probably think you've got me cornered...
But you don't.
I lured you guys here, you see!
Now that I know you are with the Akatsuki, I cannot let you escape.
Oh, man... We're trapped, Kakuzu...
No problem. Actually, this is favorable for us.
In the name of Yugito Ni 'i of the Hidden Clouds...
I'll kill you!
Huh...? What?
What's up with that, "I'll kill you," stuff?
When people show me all that enthusiasm and stuff...
I start to get irritated.
And when I'm irritated, I become enraged.
And when I become enraged...
Shut up, Hidan.
Okay. okay...
But you know, when I become enraged,
I start feeling like,
"I don't care about our objective. I just want to smash everything."
Knock it off, Hidan. The objective is absolute.
This mission doesn't go along with my religion in the first place.
The motto of the Jashin religion is mass slaughter.
Leaving people alive goes against the commandments.
From the outset, I'm not inclined to take part in a mission
that breaks the commandments.
I may not look it, but I'm quite devout!
So not being able to kill is a pain in the neck.
So how about we settle this by talking things over?
Talking things over, you say?
What's up with this guy?
Why don't you just come quietly?
Stop messing around!
Huh...? Looks like that's a no.
Are you an idiot?
Come on. Are you kidding me?
What's up with this Jinchuriki?
She's totally morphed into a Tailed Beast.
Oh man...
Uh-oh!
Hot!
Don't cats have sensitive tongues for hot stuff?
So this is the Two-Tails monster cat known as the wraith...
And I'm a rat in a cage, no less.
This is not amusing...
I read the report.
Does it look like Naruto will be able to learn a new Jutsu?
How about it?
I don't know.
No way.
I'm not sure...
But he can probably do it...
That new training approach is yielding results, after all.
And more importantly...
He has a clear objective.
Sasuke...huh?
It's already been thirty minutes. Aren't you done yet, Hidan?
Shut up! Don't interfere with the ritual!
Ouch...
Can't you skip some of that perverse praying you do each and every time?
Let's get right to the next one.
This is a pain in the neck for me too.
But I have no choice but to follow the commandments.
And what do you mean by skip?!
That's blasphemy against God!
One more to go for our mission.
One by one...
Next is the Land of Fire.