Episode 11 - The Land Where a Hero Once Lived

Bridge-building! Sakura looks bored out of her skull, but she can be smug because she's the only one who actually doesn't have to train. One of Tazuna's buddies mopes up to him, asking if it's okay if he can quit, and if maybe they ought to call off the whole bridge thing altogether. Tazuna says this bridge is their bridge, okay? It's going to get built, no matter what. He taes pity on the guy, telling him he doesn't have to come back tomorrow. At the forest, Naruto and Sasuke still haven't gotten the hang of the whole tree-climbing thing, which means Naruto probably didn't pay too close attention to Sakura. Naruto keeps trying, because he doesn't want Sasuke to beat him, and Sasuke keeps trying but he's too cool for us to hear his internal monologue as to why.

The village, by the way, is as run-down as you might expect from being in the clutches of a ruthless shipping magnate. Sakura notes the grocery store isn't nearly as well stocked as the ninja grocery store back home. A hapless goof tries to nick her pack, and but fondles her accidentally (the first time I've used THAT phrase, let me tell you). Sakura spin-kicks some teeth out of the unfortunate faux-lecher, in what is her first solid offensive maneuver in the show, and we're eleven episodes in. And it's for comedy. I'm not dwelling or anything. It happens again as they walk home, and Sakura's about to leap into action but instead it's a cute little moppet who wants candy. Sakura's all girly over it. Tazuna says the village's been on such hard times ever since Gato came to town, and I do kind of wonder how driving the village to destitution is profitable. Not to overthink it, but a scene or two of how Gato was making it rich wouldn't go amiss.

More fun with ninjas, and despite Sasuke winning, Naruto is catching up to him. Finally he decides to remember what Sakura told him, proving my point from the first paragraph. Sasuke asks Naruto for whatever help Sakura gave him, but gets denied in what's a pretty funny scene, complete with an elephant trumpeting for humorous sting. I love it. Dinner-time! Naruto and Sasuke are shoveling their faces, then stop long enough to glare at each other, then puke their
guts out. This is an awfully scatalogical show about ninjas. Purging and eating done, Sakura comments on a torn picture in the dining room, the missing bit being what Inari was crying over early on. It was Inari's step-dad, and his being mentioned casts what could understatedly be called a pall over the proceedings.

We flashback to see Inari was a happy kid, once, despite bullies threatening him, trying to drown his dog, and then almost making him drown when they kick him into the water. Yes, Inari was a happy child once. Inari can't swim, although the dog suddenly learns to dog-paddle and saves himself. Fortunately, a kindly stapping fisherman arrives in time to save Inari. There's much bonding and life lessons imparted, mostly along the lines of don't look back, fight for what you hold dear, and all that. His name was Kaiza, and immediately everybody likes him. Naruto thinks this story's pretty cool, which is a neat moment. Then comes Kaiza's Big Damn Hero moment, where he swims in flooding waters to help pull a broken levy back together, and that is pretty badass. It doesn't last, because these things don't. Kaiza tries to stand up to Gato when the latter makes his play for the island, and gets made an example of. This leads to Kaiza's crucifixtion in the town square, which I suppose is appropriate because Inari did ask if he was God earlier. Inari watches his dad die, and then and there Inari decides all this hero nonesense is just that. Naruto, making himself even more likeable, decides to prove to Inari that they can fix their problems and that there are heroes, despite being barely able to move.