Episode 55 - A Feeling of Yearning, A Flower Full of Hope

We open with more frolicking young women, and this is at least one thing that Master Jiraiya has brought to the series. His research is interrupted by Naruto wanting more training, but Pervy Sage is busy. To spit Jiraiya, Naruto does exactly what his sensei wants him to and tries to summon a frog again. Still on tadpoles! At the Village Hidden in the Leaves, we open on Sakura on her bed. She's having flashbacks to Orochimaru biting Sasuke's neck, though these are perhaps thankfully (for her, anyway) by her mother asking when she's finally going to roll out of bed and help her with the housework. It is apparent on Ninja Earth that the wisdom of Will Smith holds true when he opined, "Man, parents just don't understand!" I'd still like to know what that red and white gi in her room is for. Lord Hokage is giving everyone the bad news on Hayate turning up corpsified, and Anko immediately asks if it's Orochimaru - not unreasonably. Kakashi says it was more likely Kabuto. Somebody else asks if they're going to stop the Exam, but Orochimaru's already made it clear that's not going to happen on pain of pain. Anko gets a guilty look when they mention the Snake Ninja. Random Ninja asks if Orochimaru might side with another Land to attack Leaf Village, which would break the truce set down by the Great Ninja War (awesome!) and Kakashi more or less admits the truce was just people saying, "Okay, I won't attack you" and holds about as much weight. The Hokage urges caution, as running around beating at the bushes just might by what their enemies want. He cheerfully says that he trusts all the Jonin there, and when it's time, Hidden Leaf will go to war.

In her room, Sakura's staring at a photo of her squad, and flashbacks on Cursed Sasuke and later Sasuke ordering her not to tell the judges about the Mark. Sakura wonders if she shouldn't have been more forceful in stopping him, and while I applaud the notion of her trying and would root for her... let's get actual, shall we? She tried to visit him at Ninja Hospital, but he's not allowed to receive visitors. Despite this, she's apparently going to try again and decides to be pick up some flowers for the room she probably won't be allowed into. But, wait! This is no ordinary florist - this is a Ninja Florist store run by Ino's family, where she apparently works part-time. It explains how Ino knew about the flowers in that earlier episode, and that's kind of cool. As we've already noted, Ino is no slouch and knows exactly why Sakura's looking at flowers, and invites herself along to go see Sasuke. Treacherous Ino-pig! Ino grabs a rose for love, and Sakura gets a Narcissus because among its many properties is that it's a get-well flower. She gets two. One for Sasuke, and one for... Lee! That's sweet.

The girls are walking along, and I'm amazed that it hasn't broken out in a Kunoichi version of Deathrace 2000 to get to the hospital first. A bellow for ten orders of food give them pause, and it can only be Choji. Asuma is treating him to all the BBQ he can eat in return for helping with Shikamaru's training, who thinks it's a drag (SHOCK). We see a little bit of Asuma's teaching method, which seems to revolve around manipulating the ego of his students. Neji and Tenten are training, too! It seems to revolve around Tenten throwing things and then Neji passing out from lack of Chakra. Squad Eight's not to be outdone, as Kurenai and Kiba rush at Shino, who prepares to block with a swarm of bugs while Hinata watches from the sidelines. It's okay, girl! You can join their reindeer games, too! Ah, well. Naruto's still on tadpoles. The Sand Ninjas' sensei's also given them some no doubt lethal instruction on killing people with wind and sand. Sakura and Ino have been allowed in to see Sasuke, but it turns out he and his clothes are gone, and Sakura immediately thinks he's run off to join Orochimaru. It's too early in the season for something like that to happen, and we join Kakashi in progress to climbing a mountain one-handed and that is badass, even if he needs a Chakra-boost to do it. Sasuke's already waiting for him. I find I sort of missed the punk.

Unable to visit Sasuke, they visit their number-two choice, Lee, but he's gone, too. This is a terrible Ninja Hospital! Lee hasn't gone far, though, he's outside training. One-legged push-ups, and if he can't do those, one-legged squats! How does that even work? Sheesh, Lee. Watching him train, we get earlier Ino telling Sakura he may never be able to be a Shinboi again, and it's puts a pretty decent lump in my throat to watching the kid nearly kill himself trying to reach his dream. Right before he hits his target goal, Lee collapses from pain and passes out. Sakura asks Ino why us dudes have to be so stupid, and but Ino doesn't have an answer. To cheer us up, we get Shikamaru training, but he's out of Chakra so he just has to jump in the bushes to avoid Choji the Human Boulder. Lee wakes in his hospital bed to see the narcissus on his beside stand, but the girls have already gone home. Finally back at the hot springs, Jiraiya wants to pack it in since the bathing beauties have left, but Naruto's going to summon a frog if it kills him. He has to spring for a spot of Sexy Jutsu to recharge Jiraiya's batteries so he'll stick around long enough to watch Naruto try again. This time it's a legged tadpole. Progress!

Next Episode: Naruto's last meal! No sign of a giant frog.