Naruto Columns
11/03/2022
[NARUTO 20th Anniversary Column] Retracing the NARUTO Anime's Ninja Way No.4: Kazekage Rescue Arc ~ Long-Awaited Reunion Arc
In this column, we'll be looking back at the NARUTO anime to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its first broadcast on TV in Japan! Join this writer, a fellow fan from the NARUTO generation, as we retrace the series from its humble beginnings to its climactic conclusion! This article covers the Kazekage Rescue arc and the Long-Awaited Reunion arc!
Naruto's Homecoming: Kazekage Rescue Arc!
After his long journey with Jiraiya to focus on his training, Naruto returns to the Hidden Leaf Village, having matured both physically and as a shinobi! He reunites with Sakura and their teacher, Kakashi, who decides to see just how much they've grown by challenging them to the bell test, the same one they took to become Genin.
As Fellow Shinobi of the Leaf!
Kakashi employs his Sharingan from the battle's outset, but Naruto and Sakura won't be taken down so easily this time!
Showcasing the fruits of their training under Jiraiya and Tsunade, Naruto and Sakura put up a good fight, but they can still feel the gap between their abilities and Kakashi's formidable all-around prowess.
However, Naruto comes up with an odd but clever scheme to put both of Kakashi's hands and his Sharingan out of commission, allowing the two younger ninja to succeed in stealing the bells at last!
However, Naruto comes up with an odd but clever scheme to put both of Kakashi's hands and his Sharingan out of commission, allowing the two younger ninja to succeed in stealing the bells at last!
"HEH HEH... SHINOBI READ THE HIDDEN MEANINGS WITHIN THE HIDDEN MEANINGS."
"REMEMBER, MASTER?"
After Naruto and Sakura successfully demonstrate just how far they've come, the two join forces with their old leader again to form Team Kakashi!
Akatsuki Invades the Hidden Sand!
While Naruto enjoys being back home in the Hidden Leaf Village, the criminal organization Akatsuki starts to make its move.
Their target this time is the Fifth Kazekage and the One Tail's Jinchuriki: Gaara!
Akatsuki's Deidara spearheads the invasion, and Gaara emerges to defend the village.
Akatsuki's Deidara spearheads the invasion, and Gaara emerges to defend the village.
Deidara begins his attack by dropping bombs from the sky, but Gaara uses his Ultimate Defense to not only protect the village but also drive his opponent into a corner.
When Gaara succeeds in crushing one of Deidara's arms the fight appears all but won. However...
When Gaara succeeds in crushing one of Deidara's arms the fight appears all but won. However...
The blond bomber launches a powerful explosive at the Village Hidden in the Sand, forcing Gaara to divert his attention to protect his people. Deidara makes good use of this distraction, and ultimately succeeds in capturing the One Tail's Jinchuriki.
Team Kakashi Dispatched to the Hidden Sand!
After the Hidden Leaf receives an emergency request for aid, Team Kakashi is sent to the Village Hidden in the Sand.
Upon their arrival, Kakashi, Naruto, and Sakura are briefed on the situation before setting out once again to rescue Gaara, accompanied by veteran kunoichi Granny Chiyo.
Meanwhile, the four members of Team Guy have been sent from the Hidden Leaf Village as additional back-up!
As both teams make their way to Akatsuki's hideout, they are each confronted by an unexpected foe!
The Monster of the Hidden Mist Attacks!
Team Guy faces off against the former Hidden Mist ninja, Kisame!
Kisame utilizes his immense chakra to execute a variety of water style ninjutsu and traps Lee, Neji, and Tenten, turning the battle into a one-on-one against Guy!
Guy deploys his trusty nunchucks in response!
On top of that, the Hidden Leaf Jonin also opens six of the Eight Inner Gates, intent on quickly ending the battle!!
"ASAKUJAKU!!"
Guy clinches a decisive victory with his Asakujaku's rapid-fire barrage!
Rematch Against Itachi!
At the same time, Team Kakashi is confronted by Sasuke's older brother, Itachi Uchiha!
Although the visual jutsu Itachi executes with his Sharingan and the genjutsu he deploys with a single finger present numerous challenges for the team...
"ODAMA RASENGAN! GIANT SPIRAL SPHERE!!"
Naruto manages to work together with Kakashi and win the fight using a new version of his signature Rasengan!
However, both teams soon realize that the ninja they defeated were not Kisame and Itachi themselves, but merely clones created and controlled by Akatsuki's jutsu.
Attempting to make up for lost time, Team Guy and Team Kakashi hurry onward, meeting up just outside Akatsuki's hideout.
Attempting to make up for lost time, Team Guy and Team Kakashi hurry onward, meeting up just outside Akatsuki's hideout.
The Sinister Puppet Master!
Waiting for Team Kakashi within Akatsuki's hideout is the organization's artistic duo: Deidara and Sasori!
Deidara flees with Gaara's body, hotly pursued by Naruto and Kakashi.
The three remaining ninja—Sasori, Sakura, and Granny Chiyo—commence their own battle.
Sakura's monstrous strength and Granny Chiyo's decades of battle experience combine in an explosive show of teamwork!
The Hiruko puppet encasing Sasori is destroyed, revealing the string-puller himself!
But this only leads to the next act of Sasori's deadly puppet show, which features a human puppet created from the body of the Third Kazekage!
The cadaver puppet attacks viciously with concealed weapons while also using the Third Kazekage's Iron Sand jutsu to break Granny Chiyo's own puppets!
However, Sakura entrusts her body to Granny Chiyo's strings once more, taking the puppets' place.
However, Sakura entrusts her body to Granny Chiyo's strings once more, taking the puppets' place.
Her time under Tsunade built up Sakura's physical strength, honed her evasive abilities, and instilled within her an indomitable spirit. The young kunoichi combines these gifts from her mentor to carve out an opening, pulverizing Sasori's Third Kazekage puppet with her fist!!
Finally, Sasori reveals his ultimate weapon of puppetry...himself!
The Climactic Finale!
Sasori attacks fiercely, the shape of his mechanical body in constant flux.
The pure intensity of his assault forces Granny Chiyo to resort to a secret set of puppets she swore to never use again.
The Puppets That Destroyed a Fortress
"SECRET WHITE MOVE! CHIKAMATSU'S TEN PUPPETS!!"
"I DESTROYED AN ENTIRE COUNTRY WITH THESE.
SECRET RED TECHNIQUE! PERFORMANCE OF A HUNDRED PUPPETS...!!"
With Sasori's 100 puppets facing off against Granny Chiyo's 10, and Sakura going after the puppeteer himself, the fight devolves into a chaos reminiscent of a full-scale war.
"NOW!!"
Sakura forces her way through the army of 100, putting her all into a blow that seals Sasori!
Even after losing his puppets, Sasori makes one last stand, stabbing Sakura. But before he can finish her off, two of the puppets controlled by Granny Chiyo–Sasori's "Mother" and "Father"–close the final curtains on his show.
Kakashi's Mangekyo Sharingan!!
Meanwhile, Naruto and Kakashi chase after Deidara.
In order to catch the elusive escape artist, Kakashi unveils his latest trick—the Mangekyo Sharingan!!
In order to catch the elusive escape artist, Kakashi unveils his latest trick—the Mangekyo Sharingan!!
Using the space-warping ninjutsu Kamui with his new Sharingan, Kakashi transports Deidara's remaining arm and the space around it to an alternate dimension.
Deidara tries to continue his retreat in spite of this, but Naruto stays close on his tail!
Naruto reclaims Gaara's body, with Kakashi using Kamui once again to dispose of Deidara's self-destructing clone.
Granny Chiyo's Death: Entrusting the Future
Gaara has been recovered—but he no longer breathes.
The shinobi of the Hidden Sand, as well as Naruto and his comrades, are stricken with grief, but Granny Chiyo resolves to attempt reviving him.
The shinobi of the Hidden Sand, as well as Naruto and his comrades, are stricken with grief, but Granny Chiyo resolves to attempt reviving him.
Naruto, despite being a ninja from the Village Hidden in the Leaves—which previously fought a brutal war with the Hidden Sand—reaches out his hands to offer up his own chakra.
Seeing a shinobi from the Hidden Leaf so willing to help one from the Hidden Sand gives Granny Chiyo hope for the future, which she entrusts to the younger generation as she sacrifices her life to complete the jutsu and bring Gaara back to life.
And so, the Fifth Kazekage returns safely to his village, and a strong bond is forged between Leaf and Sand.
The New Team Kakashi Tracks Down Orochimaru's Lair: Long-Awaited Reunion Arc!!
Using the information that Sakura obtained from Sasori before his death about a spy planted in Orochimaru's ranks, Team Kakashi embarks on an investigative mission. However, since Kakashi is still recovering from the fight with Deidara, new members are added to fill out a four-man team.
The New Team Kakashi!
Two new ninja join Naruto and Sakura on Team Kakashi.
Taking on the position of team leader is an exceptionally skilled member of the Anbu Black Ops: Yamato!
Taking on the position of team leader is an exceptionally skilled member of the Anbu Black Ops: Yamato!
The fourth and final member is a young man named Sai from an Anbu Black Ops division known as "The Foundation".
But Sai seems to be hiding something, and this—combined with his utter lack of interpersonal skills—creates a hostile atmosphere within the new Team Kakashi...
Still lacking any semblance of solidarity, the four set out on their first mission.
Still lacking any semblance of solidarity, the four set out on their first mission.
Chaos! The Battle at Tenchi Bridge
In spite of the many barbs exchanged along the way, the new Team Kakashi safely reaches their destination.
Yamato disguises himself as Sasori and makes contact with the spy, who is revealed to be none other than Orochimaru's close aide, Kabuto.
Yamato disguises himself as Sasori and makes contact with the spy, who is revealed to be none other than Orochimaru's close aide, Kabuto.
However, the entire meeting turns out to be a trap set by Orochimaru!
All pretenses are cast aside as the four Hidden Leaf ninja prepare to face off against Orochimaru and Kabuto!
All pretenses are cast aside as the four Hidden Leaf ninja prepare to face off against Orochimaru and Kabuto!
"...GIVE...
SASUKE BACK...!"
Naruto's rage reaches its boiling point when Orochimaru speaks of Sasuke like his possession, and the Nine Tails' chakra surrounding him steadily increases.
The Nine Tails' Chakra Rampages!
More tails appear on the cloak of chakra surrounding Naruto, and when the fourth one emerges, his appearance changes entirely, taking on a form terrifyingly similar to the Nine-Tailed Fox Spirit itself.
Orochimaru takes on the Nine Tails' Jinchuriki in an epic battle between two wielders of malevolent power.
Naruto fires off a high-density burst of chakra that obliterates the surrounding landscape, but Orochimaru manages to survive by summoning the towering gates of his Triple Rashomon to take the brunt of the impact.
As their battle continues, it starts to resemble a fight between monsters rather than ninja.
As their battle continues, it starts to resemble a fight between monsters rather than ninja.
"NARUTO! PLEASE... DON'T DO THIS!
I'LL RESCUE SASUKE!
I'M BEGGING YOU... STOP THIS RIGHT NOW!"
Naruto has completely lost control, continuing his berserker rage despite the bloodied state of his body.
Distraught at the sight of what her friend has become, Sakura rushes into harm's way in an attempt to stop him, allowing Yamato to take advantage of the momentary distraction and use his wood style ninjutsu to forcibly restrain the Nine Tails' power.
Distraught at the sight of what her friend has become, Sakura rushes into harm's way in an attempt to stop him, allowing Yamato to take advantage of the momentary distraction and use his wood style ninjutsu to forcibly restrain the Nine Tails' power.
Naruto eventually regains consciousness, but Orochimaru and Kabuto are long gone.
To make matters worse, Sai has betrayed his team and disappeared along with them.
To make matters worse, Sai has betrayed his team and disappeared along with them.
Yamato, Naruto, and Sakura waste no time in tracking them, and are finally able to pinpoint the location of Orochimaru's hideout.
Closing in on Sasuke: The Infiltration Begins
After sneaking into the hideout, the three Hidden Leaf ninja successfully track down their wayward teammate.
Sai admits to having been sent by Danzo to help coordinate an attack on the Village Hidden in the Leaves with Orochimaru, but the young ninja begins to have a change of heart...
Sai admits to having been sent by Danzo to help coordinate an attack on the Village Hidden in the Leaves with Orochimaru, but the young ninja begins to have a change of heart...
"I'M DOING THIS BECAUSE SASUKE IS MY FRIEND...
AND THAT'S A BOND THAT CAN NEVER BE BROKEN."
"...BONDS...
I'D LIKE TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THEM."
Seeing how passionate Naruto and Sakura are about saving Sasuke reminds Sai of the bond he once shared with his own brother, and feelings long buried begin to reemerge. He decides to fight alongside Naruto and the others once more, this time as a true comrade.
Face-to-Face with Sasuke
Sai determines Sasuke's location and makes first contact.
Following the sounds of battle, Naruto and the others quickly arrive on the scene as well. And then, at long last...
Following the sounds of battle, Naruto and the others quickly arrive on the scene as well. And then, at long last...
It's their first meeting in roughly three years—but it's far from a touching reunion.
The boy they once knew is nowhere to be found, and when Sasuke speaks, his words are colder than ever before.
The boy they once knew is nowhere to be found, and when Sasuke speaks, his words are colder than ever before.
"THAT REMINDS ME...
DIDN'T YOU USE TO SAY YOUR DREAM WAS TO BECOME HOKAGE?
INSTEAD OF WASTING ALL THAT TIME CHASING ME, YOU SHOULD'VE BEEN
TRAINING.
DON'T YOU THINK?"
"IF SOMEONE CAN'T EVEN SAVE A FRIEND,
THEN I DON'T THINK THEY DESERVE TO BE HOKAGE...
DO YOU... SASUKE?"
The four-man team works together to capture Sasuke, but his abilities have grown tremendously, and despite being outnumbered, he controls the battlefield with a frightening ease.
Out of Reach
Indifferent to Naruto and Sakura's words, Sasuke vanishes with Orochimaru, as bent as ever on revenge.
"AGAIN... I COULDN'T STOP HIM, AGAIN...
I AM... SO WEAK..."
"CRYING... WON'T MAKE SASUKE COME BACK, NARUTO.
WE HAVE TO BE STRONG. YOU AND ME. TOGETHER."
"THREE MAKES FOR BETTER ODDS THAN TWO.
AND I'M PRETTY STRONG, TOO."
Although they've failed to bring back Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura are as determined as ever to rescue him, and in Sai they gain a dependable ally to their cause.
The new Team Kakashi returns to the village and soon finds themselves departing on their next mission.
The new Team Kakashi returns to the village and soon finds themselves departing on their next mission.
That's all for this time!
The next article will be published on November 10th (JST) and start from the Immortal Devastators: Hidan and Kakuzu arc! I hope you're looking forward to it!
The next article will be published on November 10th (JST) and start from the Immortal Devastators: Hidan and Kakuzu arc! I hope you're looking forward to it!
