Ep 13: The Fated Meetings

The Konoha teams face off against their Akatsuki enemies. Gaara’s bijuu is still being extracted. Kakashi warns his team not to look in Itachi's eyes.

Kisame throws his sword in the air and announces suiton, bakusui shouha (water element, explosive water shock wave) while performing katas. Water gushes from his mouth and he rises into the air.

Kakashi explains Itachi's doujutsu. If they don't look in his eyes, they'll be okay. Sakura asks how are they supposed to fight him. Kakashi flashback to asking Gai about his technique.They have to focus on the feet and body and attack based on how he moves. Chiyo says it's been a long time since she's fought a sharingan user, but they're nothing special. There are plenty of ways to fight them.

Kisame attacks with crushing waves. Team Gai leaps about to avoid them.

Kakashi stops Naruto from rushing in and explains that with the Mangekyou sharingan, you suffer the full effect of the genjutsu the instant you're caught. A second can seem like hours or days and dispelling the technique isn't possible. Itachi is impressed that Kakashi learned so much after just one encounter. Kakashi adds that afterwards Itachi got very tired and retreated immediately. It requires large amounts of chakra and poses a huge risk to the eyes. Kakashi asks Itachi how bad has his eyesight gotten. For some reason that startles Itachi and he says “Kakashi you couldn't have...”

Kisame attacks; Gai lands a kick but it's a water clone. The Leader knows Itachi made contact and Kisame is already fighting. Lee comes up from behind and lands a kick to Kisame's hand, knocking away the sword. Kisame lands on level water to face Neji's Hakke Kuushou (eight trigrams air palm) where he knocks Kisame back without touching him. Kisame grabs his sword on the way but Tenten hits it with a metal spiked ball with an explosive tag. It explodes but Kisame escapes into the water below. He then appears slowly in front of them, but Gai still can't remember who he is.

Kakashi says to Itachi that though he let his guard down last time, he's no slouch and things will be different this time. Naruto says the same thing but Kakshi says he'll take him on. Naruto protests but Kakashi says he needs to back him up. Kakashi knows he won’t be able to hold him off by himself.

Gai’s plan to counterattack: he'll distract Kisame while they hit him with everything they got. They attack one after another but Kisame knocks away Gai, Neji and Lee. Tenten unrolls a scroll weapon with explosive tags, but that has no effect either.

Itachi raises his finger and asks Naruto to come with him. Kakashi attacks Itachi and grabs his fist, but it’s a shadow clone. Itachi runs towrd Naruto. Naruto rasengan hits Itachi with his rasengan. Itachi is blown back but Naruto’s team is on the ground. Sakura gets up and morphs into Itachi.

Gai manages to grab Kisame's sword with his legs. The team attacks but Kisame makes three water clones then each produces suirou no jutsu (water prison technique). Gai tries to attack with the sword but blades from the handle cut into his hand and he lets it go. His team members are each caught in a water prison.

Naruto is surrounded by three Itachi.

End: Konoha Character Notes narrated by Lee - talks about Gai. Lee asks Gai what is the springtime of youth. “It's your passion turned into a river of sweat and tears. It's ecstasy that only those who work hard can experience.” Gai says you need to have a rival to push you to your limits.

Review: Some action but cutting back and forth interrupts the flow.

Notes:
Tsukuyomi = moon reader
Konoha Shoufuu = Konoha rising gate
Suiton, bakusui shouha = water element, explosive water shock wave
Fighting the sharingan: one on one - run away; two-on-one get him from behind, if one person caught in genjutsu the other can attack from behind. When attack the user, genjutsu vanishes. If attack not possible, then hit ally to dispel the genjutsu.
Hakke Kuushou (eight trigrams air palm) – Neji can push back enemy without touching him

Thoughts:
If they're not looking at Itachi's eyes, why are they showing his face and eyes all the time.
It doesn't make sense that Gai can't remember Kisame - that's when he saved Kakashi. He would be bragging about it.
Kakashi says he was lost in the phantom world for three days and ended up unconscious for a week. But Naruto was away much longer than that. It was at least a month.