Ep 141: Sakura's Determination

Naruto believes Sasuke is still a alive. Arashi refuses to tell him the truth. Jigumo's body further emerges from Arashi's body. Naruto attacks. Sakura punches Sasame in the stomach to knock her out to prevent her from interfering. They take cover with Gamakichi behind a pillar. Naruto jumps from pillar to pillar to avoid Jigumo's web, but Jigumo's web finally catches his foot and winds around him to encase him in a cocoon. Sakura runs to help. Kamikiri now emerges from Arashi and uses his pincher claw to cut the cocoon in half. Then he attacks Sakura but Naruto jumps down in front of her. The pincher claw stabs into Naruto's back. Arashi says Naruto missed his chance at a surprise attack because of that hindrance (Sakura). Naruto creates four kage bunshins and attacks the three merged bodies. The clones are destroyed and Naruto is hurt but trying to be brave in front of Sakura.

Arashi mocks the two then absorbs chakra from the other two bodies for a special secret high level Fuuma technique, Fuuma Ninpou, Jibaku Mandara (Mandala, Buddhist visual path of the enlightened). Naruto pushes Sakura out of the way and takes the attack directly. He is encased in a pyramid shaped forcefield. As Arashi moves his hands together, the chakra cage constricts around Naruto. Sakura looks on thinking she can't do anything. Sasame runs over and stabs the Jigumo part of the body. That part of the body starts to disintegrate. Sasame pleads for Arashi to return to normal. Arashi picks up Sasame and says that old Arashi is dead but then he returns to his normal personality and releases her. Arashi says he's a monster and asks her to kill him. But then the Kamikiri part activates and Arashi returns to being insane and attacks her with the pincher claw. Sakura blocks the claw with her kunai. Arashi raises her claw to her neck but Sakura says she's not afraid to die for those she cares about. But Naruto who is still trapped in the chakra cage calls out that no matter what happens she must not die. Arashi constricts the cage further but then Sasame leaps toward him and knocks his hand away so he is unable to continue torturing Naruto. As Arashi struggles with Sasame, Naruto forces the cage outward and breaks out, causing a huge explosion. The debris cuts off Kamikiri's head and Arashi returns to his normal body. Arashi is injured when he shields Sasame from the flying debris.

Jiraiya appears on top of a giant frog. The woman who tried to seduce him is lying unconsious on top of the frog wearing Sound shinobi clothes. Sakura and Naruto climb onto the frog. Arashi tosses Sasame to Jiraiya. Arashi now tells them that Orochimaru ordered them never to let Sasuke return to Konoha. He needs to protect him to use as his container three years from now. Naruto tells Arashi to escape with them but the two disintegrated bodies still cling to his feet. Arashi says he is already a puppet and can't live if he leaves. The frog leaps aways and everything collaspes.

The Fuuma clan assemble to thank the Leaf shinobis and say goodbye. Jiraiya carries Naruto as they leave. Jiraiya is please that they found out Sasuke is still alive and Oro can't transfer for three years. Sakura says how she couldn't do anything and was in the way, but Naruto says she gave him courage when she did her best.

Meanwhile in Konoha Shikamaru discusses a mission with Tsunade and says for the level of mission and who was on the team, it would have been better if they had at least one medical ninja on the team. Tsuande says in the past she wrote a report on the same thing concerning mission planning and tactics, but medical ninja aren't that easy to train. They need a completely different set of skills than combat types. They need precise chakra control, an extensive breadth of knowledge, and in order to create a first rate ninja, something special is needed.

Naruto is back in the hospital with his head and hands bandaged up. Sakura goes to see Tsunade and asks to be her student. Tsunade says she heard from Kakashi that she is quite intelligent and has will power and agrees. Jiraiya listens in and thinks the trip wasn't a waste of time afterall.

Review:

Typical conclusion to the mission, but integration into the original storyline is good.

Notes:

Ninpou Shisha Kugutsu = dead puppet technique

Hanzaki = Fuuma leader

Thoughts:

Orochimaru's entire mansion collaspes rather easily. Is that his real mansion?