Ep 164: The Helper Who Came Too Late

Moushou tells the team Koumei has confessed to the Noroimusha causing unrest to unseat the feudal lord. The soldier impersonating the ghost released a corrosive gas which melted his body. Naruto is about to protest that the case isn’t solved but Neji stops him. Moushou dismisses the team. While packing, Neji thinks there were probably many people involved with playing the ghost but since their mission is complete there’s no reason to continue. Naruto protests and Neji reconsiders since the mission went too smoothly. Naruto runs off and Chisama arrives with a gift since he paid so little. Tenten’s eyes turn to stars! But it’s just chicken wing manjuu (bean paste stuffed chicken wings).

Naruto runs around town and talks to the guards. Then ends up at the abandoned temple. He performs a summons to help him search but ends up with Gamakichi and Gamatatsu. Naruto asks if their noses are better than a human’s. Gamakichi is insulted to be compared to a dog. Meanwhile Gamatatsu tries to reach a string handing from a tree. There are a number of kites stuck in the tree. Gamatatsu almost gets blown away and reminds Naruto of the flying ghost. He and the frogs enter the temple. Gamatatsu comments on how cool it is but it should be hot . There’s a damp breeze coming from under him. Naruto cuts into the ground and finds a secret passage.

Meanwhile Chisama goes to tell Moushou about Naruto’s continuing investigation. He overhears Moushou say "We’ve worked hard for this, but now we have finally found Anjuu’s basement." On the ceiling are 7 kneeling ninjas! They notice him and throw shurikens but Chisama, though wounded, escapes.

Naruto finds himself by the feudal lord’s mansion. Gamakichi gets excited seeing the back of a woman bathing while Gamatatsu gets caught in a trap. When Naruto tries to help him, he is surrounded by guards. Sagi appears and Naruto tries to plead with him, but he tells the guards to throw him in jail.

Meanwhile Chisama is being pursued by the ninjas through a bamboo forest. More shurikens injure him but he manages to avoid them by hiding underwater.

Naruto is imprisoned and placed in a straitjacket. Before Gamakichi can free him, the ghost appears and attacks with his poleax. Naruto avoids being hit directly, but allows it to help slice the straitjacket apart so he can free himself. He lands a punch to the ghost’s face and the mask cracks and reveals Sagi! Naruto asks why and he replies, "It is said that when a person becomes a ghost, it clears away their regrets. That’s just a lie!" He has a pocket watch in his hand that’s passed down from the feudal lords, father to son, but it stopped ticking at the same time as his father's death, and he is living only for revenge. Naruto tries to talk some sense into him but now that he knows everything Sagi says he will be put to death as a burglar.

Neji and Tenten visit the tombs of the feudal lords. Neji turns on his bykugan to look into the tomb of Owashi and senses poison. They’re surrounded by guards who tell them of the feudal lord’s order to arrest their comrade for breaking and entering the mansion. Naruto was sentenced to death. As Neji and Tenten run away, the guards shoot arrows. They plan to got to the feudal lord’s mansion to save Naruto, but Kakashi catches up to them. He tells them their mission is complete and not to do anything beyond their mission.

Review: Some questions answered, some more questions arise, quite interesting.

Notes:

The first ghost was a soldier then it was Sagi. Did Sagi know about the other ghost?

chicken wing manjuu = bean paste stuffed chicken wings

Neji was able to see into the tomb (stone) of Owashi.

Thoughts:

So what's in Anjuu’s basement? Who is Anjuu?

Who was the woman bathing? Was it Sagi?