Ah, yes. Kicking Akatsuki’s trash. Deosn’t really get much better than that, does it? This episode effectively finishes off the current story arc, leaving behind Kakuzu and Hidan. Next week we get started on a new story arc, and it looks like we will get a bit of Orochimaru and Sasuke action again. Seriously, there are so many stories and sub plots in this show, it’s ridiculous.

Anyhow, Naruto finishes setting up his technique and starts to attack Kakuzu. He sent in a couple of clones earlier to gain combat experience against Kakuzu (which really impressed Kakashi that Naruto had taken that skill a step further), from which he new that he would need at least three clones to keep him sufficiently occupied until he landed the technique. So, after sending in the clones (that phrase is just screaming for a cheesy pun joke, but I’ll resist) he rushes at Kakuzu with the new rasengan in his hand. Just before landing the deadly blow, he loses the technique and it fizzles away. Yamato and Kakashi jump and save Naruto before Kakuzu can have his way. Meanwhile, Shikimaru’s tags do a nasty number on the body of Hidan. Small body parts find themselves at the bottom of the large grave. However, true do his nature, he is absolutely immortal, and his head continues to scream and yell at Shikimaru, cursing the whole way. Shikimaru finishes the deal by using another exploding tag to bury Hidan, once and for all. He finds the lighter, and then leaves, catching up with Sakura and Sai. The pary then sets to meet up with the rest of the group. Going back to Naruto, he wants to take another try at the deadly akatsuki. Everyone objects saying that the same thing won’t work twice. He insists, thinking about Sasuke, that if he can’t cross this bridge, he won’t be able to grow up. The group obliges. He then sets up for another run, and Kakuzu switches his body for a more long range fight (thinking that he needs to stay away from the technique). Again, naruto sends in three clones. Kakuzu mearly flies above them, heading toward the Naruto bearing the new rasengan. Kakuzu attacks and stops Naruto, only to find it was a clone and that Naruto had anticipated that attack. From behind, the real Naruto then unleashes the full power of the technique on Kakuzu. Caught in a huge blast of countless wind attacks, Kakuzu falls limp, battered, and undoubtedly dead.

Such an amazing couple of episodes! This was truly one of those episodes where you are led into this nice little trap, where you think something to the effect of “oh crap… They’re screwed”, and yet they come out alive, or even tun the tables on their enemies altogether. I, for one, was thinking that there was no possible way that these two monsters from Akatsuki would ever be stopped, but before I get any more into that, let’s start from the beginning of episode 86.

Episode 86: Shikamaru’s Genius

So we ended the previous episode watching Hidan stab himself while Shikamaru watches in horror. With his demented laugh Hidan watches as Shikimaru falls to the ground. Thinking he has won the fight, he turns to walk away. Just then, Shikimaru jumps up slashing at Hidan’s throat nearly cutting his head off. Hidan is shocked and unable to understand why he is still alive. Shikimaru then binds him with his shadow once again, and then proceeds to explain that the blood he had ingested was in fact Kakuzu’s blood, which Kakashi stole earlier. You then see a couple of scenes where Kakashi steals the blood, hands it off to Shikimaru, and how he fakes an injury using Kakuzu’s blood. Meanwhile, as Kakashi and Kakuzu are battling, Kakuzu suddenly stops his attack short, grabbing his chest (where Hidan had stabbed himself). The curse works, and Kakuzu falls dead. Just then, the creatures that came out of his back suddenly start rushing toward the dead body. The team of ninjas are unable to stop one of those creatures from giving his heart back to Kakuzu’s body, reviving him. He then splits his own body apart, with strands coming out of every limb and his back, and releases another deadly set of elemental attacks at the team of Ninjas. Just then, Team 7 shows up to block the attack with the countering wind/water attack.

Episode 87: When You Curse Someone, You Dig Your Own Grave

The next episode keeps things moving right along. Shikimaru’s still holding Hidan with his technique. The only problem is that it seems to be wanning. Hidan slowly stands up and starts to move toward Shikimaru. Shikimaru mearly baits him by acting scared, as when Hidan was in the right position, Shikimaru suddenly increases his shadow strength and then uses his shadow to reach out to all of the explosive tags he set up. He wraps Hidan in the tags, then opens up a gaping hole in the ground that he prepared earlier. As it turns out, Shikimaru had planned all of this well in advance, and Hidan is shocked by the foresight of the plan. Trapped and helpless, Hidan starts cursing at Shikimaru. Paying him no attention, Shikimaru then sees a vision of Asuma, in which the “Will of Fire” (or will to protect one’s friends in the the fire country) is passed on to Shikimaru. He then throws the lighter at Hidan. Meanwhile, Team 7 sends Sai and Sakura to help Shikimaru out. Naruto starts to prepare his half-finished new technique as Yamato explains that he is about to see a completely new Naruto. We then get a glimpse of the eyes of Naruto which are slit, similar to when he starts to release the Kyuubi, only they remain blue, showing no influence of the monster inside.

So, after a bit of research and Googling, I finally discovered that Dattebayo did, in fact, sub and release the latest episode, even though it is not shown on their website. I have no idea why it’s not listed any longer, perhaps some sort of website issue (I doubt it), but regardless I was finally able to find myself a copy of the episode and am in the process of watching it. I’m trying to keep my eye on a couple of other sources, as well, and will provide some detailed instructions on how to get the episodes in the future (legally, of course). For now, check out this page.

Yeah, it’s not up yet. Don’t know why. No announcements, just nothing. Supposed to have been released yesterday, and I know that Dattebayo is not supposed to stop subbing until the 15th of January. In the meantime, I hop to ease the anxiousness of waiting for while. Behold, one of the greatest episodes in all anime: