Episode 69 - Village in Distress: A New A-Ranked Mission!

Somewhere, Jiraiya is snickering over the episode number.

Sakura asks if this is really the best time to be going on missions, and Kakashi says they don't have any choice - they have to go get Sasuke (currenly in hot pursuit of Gaara). The Sand ninja's Kid has weirded out Kakashi, and wants him looked after. Sakura wants to wake up Ino and Choji for strength in numbers, but Kakashi wants them to stick to the traditional four-man squad. Our girl thinks at first Kakashi's coming with them, but no! They get an adorable Ninja Dog, which is even better. The Pakkun will lead them to Sasuke by sense of smell. Sakura's wondering why on earth the fourth member is a puppy, and the Pakkun tells her in a deep voice to not call him a cute puppy. In Sakura's defense, she never said 'cute.' Sakura low-crawls her way to Naruto and Shikamaru, waking up Naruto first and protecting him for an errant kunai. She's about to wake up Shikamaru, but realizes he's already awake. Hah! A Pakkun bite gets him up and moving, despite Slackermaru not wanting to get involved. Naruto finally realizes there's a battle going on as Guy punches a Sound Ninja through a wall. Kakashi gives them their marching orders, to find Sasuke and stop him from fighting Gaara. Shikamaru is somewhat reluctant, but the Pakkun has a treat if the mission is successful. He can touch the Pakkun's paw-pads. THEY ARE SOFT AND SUPPLE. This suprisingly doesn't sway Shikamaru, so Pakkun just drags his ass along. Guy wonders if they'll be okay, and Kakashi says they will, as long as they don't get to far out. Hey! Shino! Shino heard everything, and vanishes in presumable pursuit. (Sorry.)

Under the Great Barrier Jutsu, Orochimaru's psyched to fight the Hokage. One of the Anbu says that they need to take out just one of the four Sound Ninja to break the barrier, so the Sound Ninja put up barriers around themselves. Stupid Chatty Anbu. Orochimaru says that the Hokage shouldn't fret, others would just get in the way. We're off! Hokage starts with Tile Jutsu, but Orochimaru dodges the roofing and goes for Striking Snake Technique where his tongue turns into a snake to bite the Leaf Ninja. Yuck. His tongue snake bites down, but Substitution! The Hokage turns the roof to mud with Earth Style: Great Mud River, then hits with Earth Style: Earth Dragon Bomb and comboes it with Fire Dragon Bomb. Go, Hokage, go! It looks at first like he got Orochimaru, but the Hokage tells him to drop the stupid act and come back out. Orochimaru banters that that aren't the difficult students the most fun?

At Ninja Academy, Konohamaru suspects something up with it being a self-study period and the smoke and all. At the stands, Kabuto-Anbu wonders where the kids went. The Sound Ninja says the Genin couldn't possibly make a difference, but gets verbally smacked down for underestimating Naruto. Sasuke, meanwhile, is on Gaara's trail. The Ninja Academy teachers work to evacuate the students. Under the Barrier, Orochimaru asks if they shouldn't stop half-assing it and get down to it. The Hokage sheds his white robes for badass armor underneath, and Orochimaru does the same. The roof starts to crack, I'm guessing under the sheer weight of their Chakra. Orochimaru says he won't go easy on the Hokage, but the old guy says he's looking forward to it, and depending on the grade Hokage gives him he might have to re-do the Academy. Heh! We commence the festivities with the Hokage's Shuriken Shadow Clone Jutsu, but Orochimaru blocks with a Summoning Jutsu that calls up coffins. GAH. Coffins he recognizes. Hokage breaks his neck to stop the third one, but it's not over yet. The two coffins' lids fall open, and the Anbu outside are shocked by who it is. At the Academy, Iruka's having the kids evacuate in a calm and orderly fashion. Moegi and Udon notice something's up with Konohamaru, who's realizing that Things Are Afoot, starting with a rainbow he noticed around the sun. He flashes on the Hokage telling him that these kinds of rainbows symbolize snakes. Huh. On the roof, Orochimaru's animated the bodies in the coffins, the first and second Hokages, the ones who founded the Leaf Village. They're impressed they've been summoned, in a disinterested way, and Orochimaru wants them to get down to cases. In the forest, Sakura's explained what happens and Naruto's ready, but Shikamaru's irritated he has to help. Pakkun's got the scent, and they're on their way! So are a mess of Sound Ninja with orders to end Naruto.

Next Episode: The Sound Ninja are on Naruto's trail, but Shikamaru's got a Plan.