An ANBU sends a message to Konoha moments before he dies, having discovered what may be Orochimaru's current hideout. Meanwhile, Orochimaru has Guren initiate a battle among a large number of experimental specimens with the survivors being used for a future operation. Naruto is warned not to use Rasen-Shuriken due to its extreme risk, and Sasuke meets a boy called Yūkimaru. Kakashi is ordered to go on a reconnaissance mission with Shino, Kiba and Hinata. Naruto is reunited with Jiraiya, who offers to train with him again.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 90 Shinobis Determination
Date: 2009-01-05

Kakashi finishes off the wounded Kakuzu, and they return home. At Asuma's grave, Shikamaru tells Kurenai he will teach her unborn child. He plays Shogi with his father and reveals what Asuma told him: the king that Konoha must protect is the next generation. After studying Kakuzu's corpse, Tsunade tells Kakashi not to let Naruto use Rasen-Shuriken again because it will permanently destroy his ability to manipulate chakra. Meanwhile, Orochimaru learns of Hidan and Kakuzu's defeat and sends Kabuto to meet with a woman named Guren.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 89 Price Power
Date: 2009-01-05

Naruto attacks Kakuzu with Spiraling Shuriken, but his attack dissipates before he can land a hit. Meanwhile, Shikamaru uses an explosive tag to fill in the hole containing Hidan's broken body and still screaming head. He is joined by Sakura and Sai, and they head back to the others. Naruto again creates a Spiraling Shuriken, this time sending a shadow clone carrying it as a decoy. Kakuzu takes the bait, and Naruto lands a direct hit with a second Spiraling Shuriken, obliterating both of Kakuzu's replacement hearts and tearing his body apart.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 88 Wind Style: Rasen Shuriken
Date: 2009-01-05

Hidan stabs himself, but instead of mortally wounding Shikamaru with his curse, he destroys another one of Kakuzu's hearts. Shikamaru fails to behead Hidan, so he pins him down with his shadow possession. It turns out that the vial contains Kakuzu's blood. Kakuzu is temporarily incapacitated. His other hearts return to his body, with one sacrificing itself to become his heart. Just as Kakuzu is about to finish them off with another fire/wind jutsu, Team 7 arrives just in time to stop the attack with a wind/water jutsu combo.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 86 87 Shikamarus Genius
Date: 2009-01-05

Shikamaru realizes Kakuzu has five hearts, each of which must be killed before he dies. He reasons that separating the two Akatsuki is the only way to defeat them, so he uses Shadow Possession Jutsu to lead Hidan to a forest. Kakuzu combines two of his hearts into a single entity and prepares to face Kakashi, Ino and Choji to get a replacement heart. At the same time, Hidan strikes Shikamaru and draws blood. He then prepares to use his ritual to kill Shikamaru.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 85 Terrifying Secret
Date: 2009-01-04

Choji's spiked cannonball is ineffective against Kakuzu's special ability, which enables him to harden his skin. Naruto learns more about the five elements and their strengths and weaknesses in relation to each other. Kakuzu gets struck by Kakashi's Lightning Blade right through the heart, but survives and produces four masked entities from his body, one of which dies, as it had been struck by the Lightning Blade. Kakuzu then uses the masks to attack Team 10 with powerful wind, lightning and fire jutsu.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 84 Kakuzus Abilities
Date: 2009-01-04

Tsunade tells Sakura that Team 7 will be Team 10's backup if Naruto finishes his training within 24 hours. Shikamaru quickly adjusts the team's strategy to include Kakashi. After Hidan and Kakuzu are found, Shikamaru pins the shadows of the Akatsuki pair with Asuma's blades imbued with his chakra. He uses Hidan to attack Kakuzu, but Kakuzu had secretly detached his arm during Shikamaru's attack. The arm removes the blade pinning his shadow and he dodges Hidan. Choji then attacks Kakuzu from above.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 83 Target: Locked
Date: 2009-01-04

A funeral is held for Asuma, but Shikamaru does not attend it, choosing instead to sulk at home. After careful prodding by his father during a game of Shogi, Shikamaru works through his emotions, and comes up with a strategy to defeat Asuma's killers, Hidan and Kakuzu. Team 10 visits Asuma's grave before setting out for revenge, but Tsunade stops them, telling them that they need a four-man squad and backup for the mission. Kakashi then volunteers as the leader when it becomes clear Team 10 has no intention of backing down.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 82 Team 10
Date: 2009-01-04

Naruto struggles to combine shape and elemental manipulation in his new technique. Elsewhere, the Akatsuki begin sealing the two-tailed beast, and the Akatsuki leader reveals that Akatsuki plans to use the tailed beasts to cause conflict, serving as mercenaries at a lower cost than the ninja of the hidden villages, replacing them and eventually taking over the world. News of Asuma's death reaches Konoha just as Naruto realizes the solution is to use two shadow clones instead of one.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 81 Sad News
Date: 2009-01-04

Asuma collapses, mortally wounded. Shortly thereafter Ino, Choji, Aoba and Raido appear as the team's backup. They are unable to defeat the Akatsuki members, but the two are ordered back to seal the Two Tails. Hidan and Kakuzu retreat, warning the group that they will return. Ino tries to treat Asuma, but fails, as Hidan's attacks had damaged four vital organs. Asuma leaves advice for his students, and whispers to Shikamaru the identity of the "king" that the Konoha ninjas must protect. As he smokes a final cigarette, he dies of his injuries.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 80 Last Words
Date: 2009-01-04

Asuma’s fire jutsu strikes Hidan, but much to the team's surprise, Asuma is also burned. Hidan reveals his ability: By ingesting an opponent’s blood and standing in a ritual circle drawn with blood, the "curse" links him to his opponent and all damage inflicted on him is also inflicted on the opponent. Asuma rushes at Hidan but collapses after Hidan stabs himself in the leg. Shikamaru realizes Hidan needs to be in the circle for the curse to take effect, and uses his shadow possession jutsu to force Hidan to step out of it. Asuma forces himself to stand up and beheads the restrained Hidan.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 78 79 Judgment Unfulfilled Scream
Date: 2009-01-04

Kakashi reveals that while he knows how to perform Rasengan, he cannot combine his own lightning-based chakra. He adds that even the Fourth Hokage, who created the move, could not combine his elemental chakra with the technique, but that Naruto might be able to. Asuma sends word to other teams about Akatsuki’s location and proceeds on despite his concern about Akatsuki’s strength. Kakuzu turns in Chiriku’s corpse despite Hidan’s complaints, and says that he is partnered with Hidan because he cannot kill him. The stress of the training causes Naruto to be enveloped in the Nine-tails's "Demon Fox's Cloak", but Yamato suppresses it.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 76 77 Next Step Climbing Silver
Date: 2009-01-04

Asuma mourns Chiriku's death, and realizes that Hidan and Kakuzu are trying to claim the bounty on his head. Meanwhile, Hidan and Kakuzu take Chiriku in for their payment. Meanwhile, Kakashi shows Naruto what the true goal of his training will be. It is also revealed that Kakashi can perform the Rasengan.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 75 Old Monks Prayer
Date: 2009-01-04

The second stage of Naruto's training continues, while Tsunade sends out twenty teams composed of four ninja each to deal with the Akatsuki members in the Fire Country. Shikamaru leaves with Asuma, Izumo and Kotetsu, whereas Ino and Choji leave with Raido and Aoba. After putting in considerable effort, Naruto clears the second stage of his training, but collapses from hunger and exhaustion almost immediately afterward.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 74 Starry Sky
Date: 2009-01-04

Naruto proceeds to the next step of his training, the cutting of a waterfall. Hidan and Kakuzu reach the Fire Temple and fight Chiriku, so as to obtain the bounty on his head. After defeating him, they move out to claim the bounty and thereafter target the Nine Tails Jinchūriki Naruto.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 73 Akatsukis Invasion
Date: 2009-01-04

Asuma apologizes at the grave of the Third Hokage for not understanding his advice concerning what the "king" of the Fire Country is. At the hospital, Naruto and Sai recover, despite Naruto's desire to resume his training. Tsunade receives a report from Kakashi that Akatsuki is on the move. Elsewhere, Yugito Nii, the Two Tails Jinchūriki, struggles against Hidan and Kakuzu and unleashes the Two Tails, but is defeated and captured. Hidan and Kakuzu then turn their attention to the Fire Country for their next target.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 72 Quietly Approaching Threat
Date: 2009-01-04

The struggle between Naruto and Sora continues. Asuma and Kazuma fight. Sai arrives, having snuck out of hospital, and binds Kazuma with an ink snake. Kazuma breaks out of Sai's jutsu and charges Asuma, but is killed. Naruto eventually reaches Sora, who manages to release the Nine Tails's chakra. Sora then leaves the village to travel the world. Asuma and Shikamaru play shogi and discuss who the king of Konoha is. Elsewhere, two Akatsuki members, Hidan and Kakuzu, appear chasing the Two Tails Jinchūriki.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 71 Friend
Date: 2009-01-04

The chakra of the Nine-tails rages out of control within Sora, preventing Naruto and the others from subduing him. Asuma and Kazuma resume their old battle. Naruto is repeatedly knocked down in his attempts to restrain Sora, and the chakra seeps into him and transforms him as well. Yamato is unable to suppress the Nine-tails' chakra in both Jinchūriki, being prevented by an unknown outside force. Sora's fourth tail emerges, causing the Nine-tails's Cloak to envelop his body. He temporarily gains his own consciousness when he witnesses Naruto stab himself in the leg and successfully prevent the original Nine-tails' Cloak from emerging.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 70 Resonance
Date: 2009-01-04

Naruto deduces that Fuka's secret consists of switching bodies to use each corresponding element and that her hair preserves her youth and body. Naruto damages her hair and it takes a life of its own dispensing the body, but Naruto finally kills it with a Rasengan. Meanwhile, Asuma manages to break free of the electric barrier, catch up with Kitane and defeat him in a short fight. Realizing that Kitane is no more, and that his three other companions were killed, Furido causes the 3 other ninja guardians to disappear. But Furido has a back up plan, Sora.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 68 69 Moment Awakening Despair
Date: 2009-01-04

Sora refuses to let Furido destroy the village despite his grudge against Asuma and the Hokage. He is beaten up by Furido, who claims that his father had a similar flaw. Asuma gets trapped by Kitane in a force field of lightning. Meanwhile, Yamato and Sakura kill their opponents, and Shikamaru heads to the battlefield with a plan to defeat the zombies. Just as he puts it into motion, however, Fuen's barrier falls and Fudo's revival technique ends, and the zombies turn to dust.

Added by: Shawn
Tags: Naruto Shippuuden Episode 67 Everyones Struggle Death
Date: 2009-01-04