Wednesday, February 18, 2009

Episode 74 - Astonishing Truth! Gaara’s Identity Emerges!

Leaping through the forest, Pakkun calls for all engines stopped. Sakura notices Pakkun stopped and lands on a branch. Naruto notices Sakura stopped and koalas into a tree. That shouldn't have been as funny as it was. Pakkun reports Sasuke's after Temari and Gaara, and Shino and Kankuro are about to go at it. Pakkun wants to avoid it, but Naruto just wants to bull on through - considering what he might get a face full of, I think he's better off going the circular route, too. YEAH! Kankuro versus Shino! Kankuro breaks out the Puppet Master Jutsu and unwraps Crow, who is suitably creepy. Shino outmatches this by having swarms of bugs come out of his sleeves, and they get ready to go at it. Back with the other Sand Ninjas, Gaara's finally starting to wake up, but he's not really happy about it. Temari tries to give him some medicine, but Gaara just rasps she's in the way and backhands her into a tree. Harsh. Sasuke's finally caught up to Gaara, and ideally if we have a Gaara flashback then Naruto and crew might get there in time.

Kankuro's the first to act in his fight, flinging Crow at Shino and commanding his Puppet to pop blades out of his hands. They miss, but not before Shino notices the blades are poisoned. Shino ducks into the trees to avoid the Ninja marionette, and Kankuro sends Crow after him. Sasuke vows he'll stop Gaara no matter what, and he'll get to the bottom of the little Sand freak's deal. In response, Gaara's Sand Armor starts to crack again and Temari's worried he's going to Demonify right here and now. The Sand Ninja growls at Sasuke that he's going to take away everything Sasuke's ever had, up to and including his life, and will thus prove his own existence. Sasuke flashes to his training with Kakashi, and how Kakashi called Gaara out from hiding. Gaara asks Sasuke why he wants to grow stronger, and Sasuke is as open and forthcoming as he ever is. Gaara turn to leave, but not before noticing that the look in Sasuke's eyes and the lust for power are just like his own. in the present, Gaara shrieks that Sasuke's his prey, and he's going for the full-on Demon Mode.

Elsewhere in the forest, Shino's desperately trying to avoid yet even more blades Crow's popped, and is stunned when his kunai are rendered ineffective by a Substitution. Kankuro mocks him for it as the Puppet even spits blades. They take Shino in the head and chest, and then Shino starts to... deflate. Actually, you know what happens when you kick over an ant hill? It's like that, only ickier. Insect Clone Jutsu! Shino rightfully figures that kankuro's not very good at close-in combat, but he's still got to get past Crow, and one of its arm is a bomb launcher. Poison smoke bomb, in point of fact. Shino leaps away, though worries he breathed some in. Iruka's still leading the Ninja Preschoolers back at the village up to the Ninja Mount Rushmore. Konoha notices how much of the town is on fire, and then cracks show up in the faces of the Hokages. Speaking of the Hokage, it's not going well for the Old Man at all. Dying, Sarutobi is losing his grip on Orochimaru's soul. Enma helpfully reminds him the village is doomed if Orochimaru lives, and it spurs a second wind for the Old Man.

It looks like Gaara's half-demoned out, and Temari's covering her eyes to what happens next. Demon Gaara leaps at Sasuke, and atomizes the tree Sasuke was standing on when he connects. Jeepers. Sasuke's okay, though he got winged - to say nothing of the shock of his life. The good news is it might take longer than ten minutes, so Shino might make it. As we look in on Shino, the bug-tender's breathing hard from the poison. Kankuro has Crow go in for the kill, but it's another Insect Clone. Suddenly Hinata's reluctance to join in Shino's training is all too clear. Crow's suddenly become nonresponsive, and Kankuro notices the insects swarming all over his Puppet. Shino's bug Jutsu for the win! What's more, as we will recall, the bugs feed on Chakra so they're swarming down Kankuro's puppet-master line. In desperation, Kankuro cuts the threads and launches Crow's head as a weapon, since he's able to almost instantly regain control over Crow. Crow's head pops a needle literally dripping with poison that rushes in on Shino... that stops and falls to the ground lifeless. The bugs have finally found Kankuro, because Shino is crazy crafty when it comes to Shino. He planted a beetle on Kankuro's headband the others have followed, just like with Sasuke. Nice! Kankuro freaks out and falls out of the tree, but it looks like the poison's taken its toll on Shino. Shino's would-be partner Sasuke's not having a great time of it either, ducking another tree-shattering smack from Gaara. What's a Ninja wunderkind to do?

Next Episode: You asked for this fight, Sasuke, and now you got it. Happy?

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