Episode 81: After Hiruzen's death, revealed to be pupil alongside Orochimaru, Jiraiya is approached by the village's elders as they offer him the position of Fifth Hokage. He declines, saying that his former team mate Tsunade would be a much better candidate for the title. Jiraiya offers to find her for Konoha and asks that he be allowed to take Naruto with him. Meanwhile, Itachi Uchiha and Kisame Hoshigaki enter Konoha, and are confronted by Asuma Sarutobi and Kurenai Yuhi. Itachi and Kisame quickly gain the advantage in battle, but Kakashi comes to their rescue at the last moment.
Episode 82: Kakashi and Itachi exchange blows, each being very proficient with the Sharingan. Itachi neutralizes Kakashi with his Tsukuyomi. As Kakashi struggles to remain standing, he asks Itachi why he's returned to Konoha. Itachi replies that they're after Naruto, which Kakashi elaborates as meaning they want the Nine-Tails for their organization Akatsuki. Annoyed that Kakashi knows of their organization, Itachi instructs Kisame to kill Asuma and Kurenai before bringing Kakashi to him so they can find out what else he knows of their group. Before Kisame can do so, Might Guy arrives. Itachi states he did not go to Konoha to "start a war", so he and Kisame left the battle.
Episode 83: Guy, Asuma, and Kurenai take an unconscious Kakashi home to rest, where they decide Sasuke should not know of Itachi's return. Despite their wishes, Sasuke finds out, and also learns that Itachi is after Naruto. Determined to kill Itachi for murdering the Uchiha clan, Sasuke rushes out to find Naruto, though discovers that Naruto has already left the village with Jiraiya. In another town, Naruto sits in a hotel room while Jiraiya tries to pick up women. After someone knocks on his door, Naruto opens it to reveal Itachi and Kisame standing before him.
Episode 84: In a flashback, Sasuke Uchiha reminisces the night his entire clan was killed and how he came home to find his parents dead and Itachi standing over them. Confronting his brother, Sasuke is subject to Itachi's Tsukuyomi, who shows him how he killed the clan, causing Sasuke to collapse from the experience. Back in present time, as Kisame and Itachi contemplate how best to carry Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke arrives and attacks Itachi with his Chidori. Uninterested in their quarrel, Itachi effortlessly stops the attack. Naruto attempts to summon a toad, but Kisame absorbs his chakra before he can do so and proceeds to attack. Jiraiya arrives to block the attack.
Episode 85: Although Jiraiya prepares to fight the two Akatsuki members, Sasuke proclaims that he will kill Itachi. Itachi brutally beats and berates his brother, even using Tsukuyomi. Sasuke falls unconscious, and Jiraiya uses the ensuing chaos to prepare a powerful technique, forcing the Akatsuki team to flee. Might Guy arrives and takes Sasuke back to Konoha. Before he leaves, he asks that Naruto and Jiraiya to find Tsunade, hoping that she will be able to heal Lee's injuries. They reassure him, and Naruto and Jiraiya set out to resume their search.
Episode 86: Naruto enjoys a day out on the town while Jiraiya does some investigating into Tsunade's whereabouts. When Jiraiya ends up using his time - and Naruto's money - to enjoy sake and women, he starts teaching Naruto the Rasengan after a conflict with ex-Chunnin Ninjas. To begin learning the technique, Naruto must pop a water-filled balloon held in the palm of his hand by spinning the water with his chakra, something he starts with great enthusiasm.
Episode 87: Soon after his training begins, Naruto finds himself unable to make any progress. After asking Jiraiya for tips, Naruto decides he will master the jutsu in three days. Jiraiya doubts the likelihood that Naruto will live up this promise, explaining that the Rasengan was developed by the Fourth Hokage in a duration of three years. He then goes on to explain that popping the balloon is only one of three steps, and leaves Naruto to resume his training.Naruto soon discovers that popping the balloon is easier if he uses both of his hands after observing a cat, and progresses to the second step.
Episode 88: The second step involves Naruto popping a rubber ball, something that will require much more power. After Naruto struggles with this step, Jiraiya helps him by drawing a leaf on his palm to give him a point to concentrate his efforts on. With some additional practice, Naruto is able to complete this stage as well. Elsewhere, Tsunade, an avid and extremely unlucky gambler, hits a winning streak, leading her to believe something bad is about to happen. She is correct, as when she tries to leave the city, she is met by Orochimaru and Kabuto.
Episode 89: Naruto is tasked with combining the spinning and the power developed in the previous steps, something that Jiraiya cannot help him with. As he attempts to do both, a frail and sickly Orochimaru asks Tsunade to heal his soulless decayed arms as the effects of the Reaper Death Seal inflicted on him are causing him excruciating pain. Although she has no intentions of helping Orochimaru due to his killing their teacher, Tsunade decides to consider the matter when he offers to revive her dead brother, Nawaki, and lover, Dan.
Episode 90: Orochimaru gives Tsunade a week to think about it, and he leaves. While Tsunade has dinner that night, Jiraiya and Naruto arrive at the same bar. Suspicious of Jiraiya's reason for looking for her, Tsunade asks what he wants, to which he replies that Konoha wants her to be the new Hokage. She rejects the offer, saying anyone who would willingly take the title is a fool. Naruto, enraged that she would disrespect the title of Hokage and those who have held its position, challenges Tsunade to a battle. The two step outside, but Tsunade quickly proves to be far out of Naruto's league. Unwilling to give up, Naruto readies his imperfect Rasengan for an attack.
Episode 91: Recognizing the danger the attack imposes, Tsunade forces it into the ground, where the minor damage it inflicts indicates that it is not yet complete. Despite this, Tsunade offers Naruto a proposition: if he can master the technique in one week, she'll give him her necklace, something worth an immense amount of money. If he cannot, she gets all the money in his wallet. Naruto agrees to the bet, and leaves to start training. Tsunade meets Jiraiya for drinks, where he tells her that he is aware Orochimaru has offered her something. Jiraiya makes it clear that he will kill her if she helps Orochimaru. Meanwhile, Naruto continues to train, intent on winning the bet with Tsunade.
Episode 92: As the week goes by, Naruto continues his training, though he is unable to properly mix spinning and power and has varying results. Tsunade watches Naruto's progress from the background, noting how similar he is to both Nawaki and Dan. Once a week goes by, Naruto appears to have been unsuccessful and lays unconscious with fatigue. Jiraiya, still uncertain about the situation with Orochimaru & Tsunade, decides to take her out for drinks and reminds her about the bet with Naruto. While they're out together, Tsunade drugs his drink, putting him to sleep. The next morning, Tsunade meets with Orochimaru as promised, and prepares to heal his arms. Before she can do so, she is stopped by Kabuto.
Episode 93: Having recognized that Tsunade's healing jutsu was filled with killing intent, Kabuto realized that she had no intention of helping Orochimaru. With Tsunade being the only person who can heal Orochimaru, Kabuto decides to force her to help as they begin to fight. Although Tsunade has far more battle experience than Kabuto, he is able to hold his own against her, even managing to land a few debilitating attacks. As Kabuto prepares to put Tsunade out of commission, Naruto, Jiraiya, and Tsunade's assistant, Shizune, arrive to help. Uninterested in their assistance, Tsunade tries to resume her battle with Kabuto until he learns of her Hemophobia and uses it against her. As she is taken aside to recover, Naruto and Shizune both launch attacks at Kabuto, which he defeats. Finally Jiraiya states that he and Shizune must team up to take on Orochimaru and Kabuto, respectively.
Episode 94: With Tsunade out of commission due to her paralyzing fear of blood, Jiraiya takes on the challenge of defeating Orochimaru. Kabuto continues to insult Tsunade, which angers Naruto and gives him the strength to fight Kabuto and protect Tsunade. However, Naruto is no match for Kabuto, who picks on Naruto and brings back Tsunade's memories of Nawaki, Dan, and the bet made between her and Naruto. Naruto, in the heat of battle, on the spot creates a unique method using a shadow clone to help divide the roles of rotating the chakra and is able to pull together all the strength he has left to make one final attack with his right hand, creating a shadow clone and pulling off a complete Rasengan. Having defeated Kabuto, Naruto passes out after mastering the new jutsu.
Episode 95: Despite using a powerful healing technique, Kabuto's wounds are too extensive for him to deal with. When Naruto collapses due to the severity of Kabuto's last attack, a strike to Naruto's heart, Tsunade does what she can, determined to save him and his dream of becoming Hokage. Her efforts work, and he regains consciousness long enough to claim the necklace he has won in the bet. Orochimaru, recognizing Naruto as a potential future threat, tries to kill him. Tsunade, determined to make sure Naruto becomes Hokage, overcomes her fear of blood and uses herself as a human shield to block the attack. When asked why she would risk her life to save him, Tsunade replies that it is her duty as the Fifth Hokage, finally accepting the role she was offered. Intending to eliminate his former teammates, Orochimaru summons Manda while Tsunade and Jiraiya summon Katsuyu and Gamabunta respectively.
Episode 96: Katsuyu and Gamabunta double-team Manda, though the latter is able to hold his own. Using her inhuman strength, Tsunade is able to pin Manda down and delivers a finishing blow to Orochimaru. Deciding to use his last resort to regain the use of his arms, Orochimaru retreats with Kabuto, leaving Tsunade, Jiraiya, Shizune, and Naruto to their own devices. Once Naruto recovers and learns of Tsunade's acceptance of the Hokage title, he remarks that she is an undeserving of the job because the Third was better in every possible way. The two step outside to have another fight, though this time Tsunade gives Naruto a kiss on the forehead instead of a blow to the face. The group then sets off for Konoha.
Episode 97: On their way back to Konoha, the group takes a break at a hot spring town. Naruto learns that two ninja of the Akagi family cannot return home unless they collect Tsunade's debts, and attempts to help them. Shizune, fearing that Tsunade's debts, if exposed, would jeopardize her chances of becoming Hokage, disguises herself as Tsunade to stop Naruto, but neither of them realizes that the debt had already been paid.
Episode 98: Upon arriving in Konoha, preparations are made to formally put Tsunade into office, though she is largely uninterested in formalities and leaves the task to her new assistants. She makes her rounds in the Konoha hospital, healing Kakashi Hatake and Sasuke of the damage done to their minds by Itachi's Tsukuyomi. When examining the wounds to Rock Lee's body, Tsunade discovers that the damage to his spine is too extensive, even for her, to heal with certainty. She advises Lee to give up on his dreams of being a ninja, citing that there is only a 50% chance that he will survive the operation.
Episode 99: Unable to accept Tsunade as her grandfather's successor, Konohamaru does everything in his power to prevent her inauguration. As Tsunade does research, hoping to increase the chances of Lee's surviving the operation, Naruto tries to convince Konohamaru that she will be a good Hokage. After Tsunade demonstrates her strength and healing abilities, Konohamaru decides Tsunade can be Hokage and that his grandfather will not fade into memory.
Episode 100: Guy and Lee discuss the operation, and Lee expresses his fears of dying as well as his fears of never being a ninja. The two reminisce about their time together, and Guy finally decides that if Lee dies during the operation, so will he, as he cannot live if Lee is not a ninja. Guy's words inspire Lee, and he decides to take the operation. Tsunade, meanwhile, manages to increase the odds of Lee's survival to 58%, and is satisfied that Lee will most likely survive the operation. Tsunade is inaugurated as Hokage, and the role of the village's protector is passed on to her.
Rating: 9/10(Average)
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