Konohamaru's team asks Neji to talk about Naruto's heroism. Instead, Neji tells them about an incident during the Chunin exams three years prior. While Orochimaru attacked Konoha, two rogue ninja take advantage of the commotion and kidnap Hinata. Neji, Tenten, Kiba, and Akamaru rush out to save her. They're in trouble until Hiashi shows up and saves them, telling Neji that he's the beloved memory of Hiashi's younger brother. Neji realizes Naruto's speech about destiny was right; he isn't just a slave to the clan name. Konohamaru's team complains that Naruto wasn't in the story at all, and Neji cryptically answers that Naruto was the most important part.
- Directed by
- Hiroyoshi Kishikawa
- Written by
- Yuka Miyata, Junki Takegami
All episodes — S9 • Past Arc: The Locus of the Leaf
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S9 E176Rookie Instructor Iruka
Sep 2, 201023 min
In the aftermath of the destruction of the Leaf Village, Iruka thinks back to the time when the Third Hokage first gave him the task of being Naruto's homeroom teacher at the Academy, since no one else would take him in.
S9 E177Iruka's Ordeal
Sep 9, 201023 min
Iruka struggles to deal with his hate for the Nine-Tailed Fox inside Naruto as he tries to connect with Naruto after seeing him shunned by his peers.
S9 E178Iruka's Decision
Sep 16, 201023 min
After discovering a kunai knife with a secret message on it, Naruto winds up being pursued by three kunoichi from the Hidden Waterfall Village. Iruka mangaes to find him, but when the situation grows worse, Kakashi appears to save them both
S9 E179Kakashi Hatake, The Jonin in Charge
Sep 30, 201023 min
Kakashi has a flashback back when he was assigned to be the sensei of Team 7. In a bid to know his students, Naruto, Sasuke & Sakura, better, Kakashi spies on them and to see how they would all get along as a group. Angered by Sakura's talk
S9 E180Inari's Courage Put to the Test
Oct 7, 201023 min
As the ninja of the Hidden Leaf Village work on repairing their village in the aftermath of Pain's invasion, Naruto and Sakura come across a familiar face among the carpenters: Inari and Tazuna have arrived to help out. Inari recalls what h
S9 E181Naruto's School of Revenge
Oct 14, 201023 min
In a flashback of Naruto and Sakura's, Team 7 is on a mission to take an ostrich called Mr. Ostrich to his home. They arrive at a village where they see a swordsman named Tsukado who has a vendetta to carry on a man named Katazu who killed