Holy crap. Seriously, stop reading this review and find some way to watch this episode. This is NOT one of those things that you want to just sit skip on. Even if you do end up reading about this episode before seeing anything, you still need to see this episode. It’s freaking amazing. It has the awesome fights, quality animation, story that makes you want to cry and yell in excitement at the same time. There are even some parts where you think to yourself “what the heck is going on”.

Now allow me to elaborate. Now, you remember that explosion last episode? The one that Asuma unleashed on Hidan? Well, he comes out untouched. Asuma, however, is burned. Not really understanding why, Hidan then stabs HIS OWN LEG. The problem is that Asuma suddenly starts to bleed from his leg as well. What’s going on? Well not only is Hidan apparently immortal, he’s also caught Asuma in a type of Voodoo doll technique, only Hidan IS the voodoo doll. Anything that happens to Hidan, happens to Asuma. Hidan then takes out a large spike to tab himself in the chest. Apparently that’s his way of killing his oponents, by killing himself and feeling the pain of their death. It gives him some weird sort of high. Shikamaru, in desperation, using his shadow technique to confine hidan until he can figure out what’s going on. He recalls all the clues – the weird symbol Hidan is standing on, the fact that he ingested the blood of Asuma, and other clues. He realizes that Hidan has to stand on the symbol in order to have the voodoo effect. Using his shadow technique, Shikamaru moves him out of the circular symbol. Asuma then strikes completely chopping his head off as Hidan screams for help.

There’s only one problem here. Hidan really is immortal. Even with his head chopped off and lying on the ground, he yells over to his traveling companion, Kakuzu to help him out. Kakuzu now steps in, finally getting involved. Using some weird thread from his body, Kakuzu sews on Hidan’s head again. The last two members of the Konoha team (Izumo and Kotetsu) now move into action fighting against Kakuzu. They use a very stange looking and large head shaped weapon and a sort of liquid glue. Neither work on Kakuzu, however, as he detaches his hands using the same strange thread and is able to demobilize these two ninja. Meanwhile Asuma goes head on against Hidan. Hidan uses his huge three bladed weapon to impale himself, letting Asuma think that he had made a mistake. Only he had gotten back in the circle this time. Asuma, completely immobile now and injured beyond the ability to fight, watches as hidan takes out his spike. Shikamaru, completely exhausted from his shadow technique, is unable to do anthing other than vainly run after Asuma. Hidan then strikes the spike into his chest and falls to the ground with a look of pure pleasure on his face.

Whew! Finally caught myself up. You know, this series is quite a handful to keep up with. I’ve now written all the summaries up to the most recent episodes, but it’s just in time for another double episode release… Oh well. At least the show is seriously amazing.

This double episode has it all. Training, fighting, just your all-around something-for-everyone episode. They switch back and forth a lot, but I will separate out the two plot lines for simplicity. First, let’s talk about Akatsuki. We find them reaching their destination to make the exchange. They walk into a bathroom (in the middle of nowhere), through a secret door, and make the exchange. You can see the tension continue to rise with these two. While they are making the exchange, however, things are tense, for a different reason, for all the konoha teams preparing to ambush the Akatsuki team members. No one knows which location the two man team went to, so all are prepared. As it turns out it was Shikimaru and Asuma that found the right place. They ambush Hidan with the Shadow bind technique (using Shikiamaru’s shadow to paralyze an opponent), and two other ninjas go in for the kill. Having pierced his vital organs, the whole team is surprised to see Hidan perfectly alive, and apparently just really annoyed by the attack. The konoha team reassembles and decides to have just Asuma attack, making him a sacrifice to get Hidan (this is technique called a “Climbing Silver” in the chess-like game shoji, hence the title). Just as they seem to have finally gotten Hidan killed in a giant fireball, he turns to a skeletal looking black and white color. We’ll find out what this transformation means in the next episode.

Naruto, on the other hand, is learning what “the next step” is. He is taught that Rasengan is the ultimate in shape manipulation. The next step, one that the Fourth Hokage was trying, but failing to reach, was to combine rasengan with an element, in Naruto’s case, wind. Kakashi explains to him that this is the one technique that he cannot teach, as only a handful of Ninja are even capable of mixing these two skills (remember that a hokage couldn’t even do it). Kakahi also tells Naruto, sincerely, that he believes Naruto can surpass the fourth hokage in this technique. Naruto, naturally begins right away, but instantly realizes how hard it is. He thinks to himself that it’s like looking lef and right at the same time. This new technique causes him some strain, and suddenly we see the Kyuubi violently leaking out, causing the “fox’s cloak” to form. Yamato immediatly surpresses the Kyuubi, and Naruto collapses from the exhaustion.