There they are!
It figures they'd be here.
Thanks, Sakura.
Sakura…
Never mind me…
Stay quiet now.
I need to concentrate.
I'm sorry…
Sorry? For what?
For everything…
You should be.
Really...you…
damn…
idiot!
He's finally back.
Naruto…
I've been thinking about what you once said to me.
When we were together,
you wondered if it was how having a brother would feel…
Now, finally…
I think I know what you meant.
I felt how my mother, father, and brother Itachi suffered.
In that same way…
Naruto…
I'm sure I will start to feel your pain and your emotions…
You never cut me off.
You always kept me in your thoughts.
Naruto…
SHIKAKU NARA
INOICHI YAMANAKA
You'd have been justified if you'd come at me with hatred…
Instead, you always called me your friend.
NEJI HYUGA
And I tried to betray even those feelings…
As I explained, it's the village policy.
Only those authorized are allowed at the interview.
All others, please leave!
What? Do you know how far I traveled?
Let us see him, just once!
– Yeah! – Yeah!
It's the village policy…
– Let us see Naruto! – Let us see Naruto!
Please don't push! It's dangerous.
This should take care of the successorship.
It's a lot of paper.
Yeah…
Anyway, congratulations on becoming the Sixth Hokage, Kakashi.
Thank you.
I just wonder… Can I do this?
You'll manage. After all, I did.
I'll do my best.
Excuse me.
Status report:
The Raikage's entourage and
the Kazekage's entourage have arrived.
May I escort them to Naruto, too?
You may.
Further…
I have a request.
I see, Shikamaru.
I understand your intentions.
I want to get some experience and improve my prospects too.
All that's left is him.
A ton of visitors are asking about him.
Suddenly he's Mr. Popular.
That's all right.
He's not the type to get carried away.
Hey! Gaara!
Naruto…
You…saved me yet again.
And us.
How's your wound?
It's about what you'd guess.
Can't say I'm in the best shape.
Then, what'll you do about that arm?
Oh, Grandma Tsunade said something about
harvesting cells from Hashirama, the First Hokage, or whatever.
She's gonna fuse them with mine, I suppose?
I don't really understand.
Will it be as good as new?
Yeah! I think.
I'm here today so they can check.
I see…
Naruto is the Ninja World's sun! His right hand's a precious companion!
Losing it is devastation! Yay!
So to get it back intact! Use Hashirama's cells, in fact.
It'll be as good as new, Jack! Yay!
What's he up to?
I really don't wanna say much.
SEAL
I promised I wouldn't.
SEAL
I see.
S-Sensei!
Don't cry, Lee!
Even if the bright days of youth end here, there is still a future for me!
The sun that shines bright!
The sweltering heat!
The red-hot days of summer are here!
O-Oww…
Guy Sensei!
I'm inspired! What a brilliant way of thinking!
Oh yuck…
NINJA ACADEMY
Shikamaru…
I hear you're the Hokage's personal assistant.
Well, yeah.
I have to keep moving forward too.
So why'd you ask me to come to the Academy?
Iruka Sensei? And Kakashi Sensei?
More like Lord Hokage now.
Huh?! When did that—?!
You must have seen all the messages that came in this morning.
I had no idea…
Don't worry about it.
So what do I call you?
Kakashi Hokage?
Hokage Kakashi Teacher?
Well, let's decide that later.
Naruto!
You never got to take the Chunin Exam, right?
No…
Naruto Uzumaki!
I, the Sixth Hokage, hereby grant you
the rank of Jonin of the Village Hidden in the Leaves!
…is what I'd like to tell you.
But there's something you must complete before that.
The educational materials you'll be needing.
You mean…?
Yes, you have study.
Study?!
No way!
No way, no way!
If I'm gonna have to study, I'll just stay a genin!
Hold on, Naruto.
There's no shortcut to becoming the Hokage!
Got it?!
Naruto…
I don't have to tell you
that your skill as a shinobi is second to none.
However, if your goal is to become the Hokage…
You must learn how to stand above others and lead them.
You catch on fast, and for most things,
Shikamaru will support you with his resourcefulness.
Still, a minimum of learning and knowledge is essential.
We're rivals who both aim to become Hokage, right?!
THE HISTORY OF SHINOBI VOLUME 1
You really dug in, Naruto.
Two more years, and you can become a jonin.
So long…
Okay, let's call it a day
and go grab some ramen.
Yes!
NINJA ACADEMY
Now what toppings should I choose?
Hey, don't get carried away.
It's all thanks to you, Iruka Sensei.
Huh?
Do you remember that day?
Hmm?
That night, Sensei…
You accepted me.
It was the first time ever.
That's why I'm here today.
If no one acknowledged me and I stayed the way I was…
Maybe I would've resented the village and everyone in it, and gone wild.
But your words that night changed me.
But Naruto is different.
He's…
He's an exceptional student and I acknowledge him!
He is…
Naruto Uzumaki of the Hidden Leaf!
Thank you, Iruka Sensei.
That…that does it!
Today, you can have all the toppings you want!
Awright!
Sasuke…
I'll be blunt.
By rights, you should be in prison right now.
But we have heard your plea and
all your actions up to now have been pardoned.
Breaking the jutsu for the Infinite Tsukuyomi
played a big part in the decision.
As well as the fact that I happened to become the Sixth Hokage,
and that Naruto, the key figure in ending the war,
testified on your behalf.
Don't forget that.
And please don't get too reckless.
Otherwise, I'll be held responsible.
Understood. Thank you.
Must you go?
The artificial arm that Lady Tsunade is creating
from Lord Hashirama's cells will soon…
I need time to understand my feelings.
How I should view the shinobi world, this world.
Perhaps I'll be able to see things I couldn't see before.
Things that can't be seen unless I do this.
Also, there's something I'm worried about.
What if I said…I'd go with you?
This is a trip to atone for my sins.
My sins have nothing to do with you.
Nothing to do with me…?
Maybe next time.
Thank you.
I didn't think you'd come to see me off.
Here.
You kept that thing?
You sacrificed your arm to stop me.
Thanks to you, I found salvation.
Once, all we did was clash with each other.
But now, we share each other's pain.
After all my travels through the world,
I came to the conclusion
that this sharing of pain
can perhaps be applied to something much bigger than just us.
But I can't do things like you.
Things don't go that smoothly,
as you and I know more than anyone…
The bigger something is, the harder.
I'm returning this.
I'll hang on to it…
…until our real match.
This idea is almost a prayer.
To keep enduring, no matter what, until things come to pass.
And for we who must endure,
perhaps that's what it means…
…to be a ninja.
Long ago, there was a fox spirit. This fox had nine tails.
The fox was sealed inside a shinobi's child
and over time, they became close friends.
Then a new calamity occurred. The Ten Tails was resurrected.
But the child grew up to be a shinobi,
and the fox spirit, the child, and the clans joined to seal away the Ten Tails.
This son of the Fourth Hokage
into whom the fox spirit was sealed, was named…
Naruto Uzumaki.
Hmm… Now this looks delicious.
Well, it's the fish I caught.
‘Course it's gonna be good!
I will make you strong.
In times of danger, I will risk my life to protect you.
Brother Neji…
Next time on Naruto Shippuden: "NARUTO - HINATA"
Tune in again!