Episode 161: Two outsiders, Mondai and Potcha, come to infiltrate the village and gather its secrets by disguising themselves as Might Guy and Rock Lee, while the real Guy and Lee are out on a mission. They are oblivious to the fact that their disguises are fooling nobody, except for Naruto. Tsunade, Sakura, and Tenten string them along by giving them outrageous missions, preventing them from learning anything. The real Lee and Guy return to kick their impostors off into the distance, and discover that Naruto never realized the truth.
Episode 162: Naruto, Neji, and Tenten are sent by Tsunade to the Land of Birds to investigate reports of a ghost, Noroimusha, terrorizing the local population. Upon arriving, they learn that the daimyō has died, and that his son, the successor, cares little about his duties due to the recent death of his sister. Later that evening, the Konoha ninja encounter Noroimusha and give chase. After cornering it, however, an examination by Neji's Byakugan makes the group realize that the armor the Noroimusha is wearing is empty.
Episode 163: The episode starts with the group talking at Mousou's house. After that they discuss that Koumei, the village strategist and the son's potential rival for succession, may be behind the Noroimusha. To prove this, they try to visit the new feudal lord Sagi at a lake where he holds his lost memories of his sister Toki. The group protects the feudal lord from assassins, and pursues the Noroimusha to its meeting with Koumei, where after it is defeated, it is revealed that it and the previous Noroimusha were two different individuals. The group finds evidence that indicates that Koumei may have been behind the second Noroimusha's appearance, and Koumei is arrested.
Episode 164: The episode starts with Mousou stating the mission is over. Naruto, however, is skeptical, and investigates where he and his companions fought the Noroimusha. He finds a secret passage to the feudal lord's mansion, but is caught. When Shima goes to warn Mousou about Naruto investigating, he accidentally sees Mousou meeting with Watari ninja. Shima tries to escape to inform the others about this development, but is pursued and injured by the Watari ninja. The Noroimusha arrives in Naruto's cell, and he is sentenced to death.
Episode 165: The episode starts with Neji, Tenten, and Kakashi staring at a grave. As they head back they throw off a pursuer with a replacement, but are being shadowed by another. Koumei is about to be forced to commit seppuku, but the Noroimusha saves him. Shortly afterwards, it is revealed that Naruto disguised himself as the Noroimusha. Kakashi fights Nagare, who uses moves copied from other ninja. Naruto, Neji and Tenten discover that the true identity of the Noroimusha is the feudal lord himself, who seeks to kill Mousou to avenge his father.
Episode 166: The episode begins with a flashback that reveals that Sagi, not Toki, died, and that Toki took on her brother's identity to avenge his death. Toki assumes the identity of the Noroimusha, and attempts to attack Mousou, but is subdued by Mousou's imitation ninjutsu. Mousou's Watari ninjas and Naruto's group join the battle. While his companions fight the Watari ninja, Naruto pursues Mousou and is caught in a genjutsu.
Episode 167: Mousou reveals himself to be Hoki the migrating ninja, who plans to travel and collect as many jutsus as possible. He seemingly kills Shima and knocks Naruto underwater. Naruto awakens when Sagi's ghost asks him to save Toki from her desire for revenge and defeat Mousou. Naruto rises from the water and punches Hoki, then tells Toki that he has seen Sagi. Naruto then fights against and defeats Hoki. Shima turns out to have survived Hoki's attack. Toki apologizes to her subjects for deceiving them, but asks them to allow her to remain ruler in order to restore the Bird Country. After the group leaves, Neji tells Naruto that the first Cursed Warrior they encountered was a real ghost, much to his horror.
Episode 168: This episode pays tribute to cooking-themed anime series such as Chūka Ichiban and Yakitate!! Japan. Naruto, Chouji and Sakura volunteer to help Teuchi, whose daughter Ayame was kidnapped by a band of cooking ninja. To save her they must come up with the ultimate ramen recipe. Teuchi tries to teach them how to cook, and the three take advantage of their ninja techniques to make the perfect bowl of ramen. When they rescue Ayame, she has grown fat due to being unable to resist the cooking ninjas' food. To bring her to her regular self, she eats Teuchi's diet ramen that appears to be designed to make people lose weight from eating it. The episode ends by showing almost every single female ninja in the show lined up for ramen. However, in the end it shows Teuchi eating the diet ramen and losing too much weight.
Episode 169: Anko Mitarashi is dispatched to the Land of the Sea with Naruto, Shino, and Ino to investigate the nature of the "Kaima" monster. Upon arriving, Anko recalls her time with Orochimaru in this area, and her cursed seal begins to resonate and cause her pain. At the docks, the group sees Yoroi Akado and Misumi Tsurugi accosting a young girl. Naruto chases them away, but does not recognize them. When the group sets off to one of the islands, Yoroi and Misumi attack, and Naruto nearly drowns until he is saved by the girl he saw earlier.
Episode 170: Naruto awakens in the girl's hut, where she identifies herself as Isaribi. Upon thanking her, Naruto realizes that she is being ostracized by the local residents, and he angrily chases away the children that have arrived to torment her. Meanwhile, Orochimaru is meeting with Amachi, a scientist conducting experiments under his direction. Sasuke Uchiha is also present, and ends their conversation when it's directed towards him. The remaining members of Team Anko have arrived at the island, where they are briefed on the payment schedule that they have to defend, and they locate the Demon of the Ocean (Kaima) in the meantime. However, Naruto arrives, and identifies the Kaima as Isaribi. The arrival of Yoroi enables Isaribi to escape, and the two escape. Anko attempts to pursue but is paralyzed by pain from her cursed seal. Anko falls unconscious from the pain caused by the cursed seal.
Episode 171: While in the beach, Anko, still unconscious, is being tended by Ino. Meanwhile, Naruto explains his encounter with Isaribi earlier. The episode continues back into Anko's sudden remembrance of her memories. She sees Orochimaru approaching her, telling her that the Hokage knows about their experiments. Shino, Naruto and Ino decided to continue their original mission: To protect the official payments and capture the Kaima (Isaribi).
The group heads to Demon Island (Kikaijima), an island located in the Land of the Sea where supposedly the Kaima resides. Anko awakes and explains that the Kaima (Demon of the Ocean) is a human who has undergone physical transmutations. While they are talking, Yoroi and Isaribi head underwater to Orochimaru's lair. Inside, Isaribi passes on the information relating to the official payments and asks when she will return to normal. Yoroi tells her that she is a prototype and when he is done collecting information from her, he would change her back. He also sends her to dispatch Naruto and the rest of the group who has just arrived on the shore.
Shino, Naruto and Ino find themselves in an experimental laboratory with many creatures contained in test pillars. Isaribi approaches from behind and triggers a trapdoor. The three genin fall through the trapdoor and Anko appears behind Isaribi with a kunai at her throat. Isaribi gets away and leaves Anko locked in the room facing three large lion-like animal mutations. Anko makes quick work of the three, only leaving the curse mark to pain her.
The rest of the team faces Yoroi Akado, who is working for the enemy. Shino takes up the challenge while Naruto and Ino continue running to catch up with Anko. Anko, Naruto and Ino find themselves facing Amachi and Isaribi. Amachi and Isaribi run off just while Misumi Tsurugi comes to face them. Ino uses her mind manipulation jutsu to restrain him. Shino's opponent disappears as the island begins to collapse. Isaribi, Amachi and Yoroi escape on a ship, leaving Team Anko to die in the collapsing building. Naruto frantically searches for an exit.
Episode 172: Anko rescues the team by summoning a giant snake, which takes the team in its mouth and breaks through the wall. Team Anko quickly pursues the enemy. After encountering Amachi, Naruto is caught in his attack and is able to use the demon fox's chakra to free himself.
Episode 173: The demon fox within Naruto helps him beat Amachi. Although Amachi is quickly defeated and captured, the Sea Boss attacks Naruto. Naruto summons Gamabunta and defeats the monster by evaporating its nucleus, then gets beat up by Gama-sama (Gamabunta is a freshwater creature who is extremely uncomfortable in a saltwater environment). Isaribi realized what Naruto said was right and that he did understand her because Naruto was also treated as a monster and with his help, Isaribi was able to overcome her anger. Afterward, Isaribi decided to go to Konoha in the hopes that Tsunade can cure her.
Episode 174: Naruto is ordered to show a spoiled rich kid named Kunihisa a typical day in the life of a ninja. The kid has an annoying habit of continually flaunting his wealth to get whatever he wants. Trouble arises when kidnappers attempt to abduct the kid for ransom, and Kunihisa, out of money, is unable to summon his bodyguards, who have been paid off by the kidnappers. Naruto helps him to escape, and teaches him that there are more important things in life than money.
Episode 175: Naruto, Hinata and Kiba are given a mission to find some treasure, and are told that if they fail to find it, they will be returned to the academy, due to Naruto's poor performance on his missions with Kiba and Hinata. They set out to find it, but Naruto and Kiba's arguments prevent them from cooperating. They are ambushed and trapped by three people who then copy their identities, smell, and thoughts and learn that the person who requested the mission is their leader.
Episode 176: Working together, the group escapes from the cave-in with the treasure, but learn that Hinata injured her leg. After realizing that Naruto and Kiba argue too often while Hinata worries for the others too much, they head into town to stop their copies. The group outwits and defeats their copies except Naruto, who uses demon fox chakra fueled shadow clones to defeat his copy, because his copy was running up a huge debt under his name, and ate all his food (including some ramen he was saving for a special occasion). Naruto's copy also accidentally bumped into Sakura, who was walking out of the library with an extremely tall stack of books. The copy then ridicules Sakura for being such a klutz, which angers her and leads her to unknowingly punch the real Naruto. Naruto, Kiba & Hinata learn that the mission was a test to see if they could work together as a team, and that they passed it. Tsunade becomes upset when the "treasure" turns out to be a bill for services rendered.
Episode 177: Naruto finds Jiraiya with two women in a town and Jiraiya makes excuses and puts off his training to write his Icha Icha script. Naruto eventually decides to ghostwrite it. Naruto gets the manuscript for Icha Icha Tactics (English version, "Make Out Tactics") mixed up with a peace treaty between the Fang and Claw countries. The two must chase down the courier ninja before he delivers the wrong package and incites war. Unfortunately, the courier is absolutely committed to his duty and will stop at nothing to complete his delivery, no matter what the consequences may be. The wrong package eventually gets delivered but peace is still made between the two countries, as the recipient was a fan of Icha Icha and happily interpreted the document as a peace offering.
Episode 178: Tenten, Neji, and Rock Lee are assigned to a mission to protect the star belonging to the Hidden Village of Star. When Naruto hears of the star's special chakra enhancing power he decides he too must go along because of his assumption that Orochimaru may be involved. Naruto manages to convince Tsunade to allow him to join Team Guy's mission by bribing her with an expensive treat. Naruto and Team Guy encounter Sumaru of the Hidden Village of Star, who guides them past the poison gasses that surround the Village after demonstrating techniques with strange purple chakra. The Konoha genin meet with the substitute Hoshikage, Akahoshi, who explains Hidden Star's desire to become one of the Five main Hidden Villages. Sumaru expresses his desire to become the first true Hoshikage of Hidden Star, which intrigues Naruto who rushes off after Sumaru in the direction of the place where the village's star is held. Naruto and Sumaru see someone fleeing from the building containing the star and Naruto runs off in pursuit. Sumaru discovers that the star has been stolen and chases after the thief. The thief manages to escape from Naruto, and it is revealed that (s)he was using techniques exclusive to those who had star training, meaning they were once a member of the Star village.
Episode 179: With the star stolen, the group has no leads on the mysterious thief who can use chakra to fly. Naruto learns that Sumaru's parents died defending the star from foreign ninja. Tenten and Lee attempt to track two of Akahoshi's men, but are discovered and find no answers. Sumaru and some of his friends find a masked ninja and restrain him, but he renders them unconscious and kidnaps Sumaru.
Episode 180: It is revealed that the masked ninja who stole the star is Sumaru's mother, and that Akahoshi is the one who kidnapped Sumaru. The group learns that the star training is potentially fatal to the ninja who take part in it, but resolve to find the star. Tenten and Lee infiltrate Akahoshi's residence and rescue Sumaru. Meanwhile, Akahoshi approaches Natsuhi and demands the star in exchange for Sumaru, and the two fight. While Natsuhi gains the upper hand, Naruto and Neji intervene for Akahoshi, and Naruto manages to get close enough to punch Natsuhi. After he does, Akahoshi launches an attack at the two of them, dropping them into the Valley of Death.
Rating: 7/10(Average)
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