The Best Episodes Directed By Hayato Date

"I'll be a better shinobi than Lord Hokage! Then all the villagers will have to acknowledge my existence at last!" True to his word, Naruto has walked his own path until there are none who do not recognize that he's become a great shinobi and a hero who has saved the world. But what path will Naruto take now? How will the world of the shinobi change? This is the story of the boy who blew through the hearts of all like a "shippu," an irresistible gale. This is the story of Naruto Uzumaki.

As the fight between Sasuke and Danzo comes to a close, the latter will do whatever it takes to finish off the former. Meanwhile, Sakura and her team close in on Sasuke.

Granny Chiyo and Sakura rescue Naruto from Itachi’s genjutsu. Without a moment’s delay, Kakashi begins a counterattack.

As the battle between Lee and Gaara continues, Gai remembers how hard Lee used to train and how Lee has pretty much no ninjutsu or genjutsu skills. Lee is also a dropout, like Naruto. In order to defeat Gaara, Lee will have to use the move Gai forbade him to use.

Tobi heads to Hidden Rain Village to retrieve Nagato's Rinnegan. Konan, now a former member of Akatsuki, recollects her past until Tobi arrives. Tobi asks Konan where is Nagato's Rinnegan and Konan replies that it is not located in the village. Their battle started and Tobi tells Konan that he encouraged Yahiko to form Akatsuki and he gave the Rinnegan to Nagato. Konan transforms into thousands of pieces of paper to self-destruct against Tobi, yet it fails and both survives. Konan unleashes a powerful paper technique that looks like a sea of paper beneath their feet.

There is only one black rose left now. Akio is wondering if Mikage will finally fight Utena himself. But instead of fighting, Mikage decides to include Utena in his side, and asks Utena to join his Mikage Seminar, but Utena turns it down. Mikage talks about Nemuro Memorial Hall, where Mikage now holds his seminar. Decades ago, there was a professor called Professor Nemuro, who was doing some research at the hall. One day, there was a fire, and the hall burned down, which took away 100 lives of his students.

Haruki Mishima and Towa Honda are new students at Aokisora High School and best friends; at a convenience store near their high school, Haruki runs into his classmate Miharu Mashiki, a girl he's recognized since he was little.

Sasuke's match against Gaara finally begins! Gaara seems to have the upper hand at the beginning, until Sasuke shows off his newly found taijutsu techniques. Gaara is reliving the battle against Rock Lee all over again, only this time he's facing an opponent who can use more than simple taijutsu attacks.

In the new semester, Onizuka was able to become a teacher at Seirin Gakuen on a sunny day, but the first class he was in charge of was not the high school he admired, but the middle school. Onizuka is disappointed to hear that he is a homeroom teacher for junior high school students, but rumor has it that the class that Onizuka is in charge of, the 4th class in the third grade of junior high school, was a problem class in which there were three homeroom teachers who had quit school due to mental stress.

Naruto and Sakura host a special recap episode featuring the top five battles so far! There are also interviews with some of the team, and perhaps even some of the enemy....

Cinnamon and Ichiko watch a horror movie, leading to all the expected consequences. Lucky and Boo rekindle old rivalries.

Overjoyed at his success, Naruto manages to enrage Gamabunta. With him not willing to accept that Naruto was able to summon him, Naruto challenges Gamabunta to accept him as his subordinate if he is able to stay on his back until sundown.

　Onizuka, Murai, Fujiyoshi, and Kusano who will be bowling at the setting of Juria. However, on the way, Juria, who was urgently needed, disappears and the game continues in a terrible mood. 　Meanwhile, Murai's mischief prevents Onizuka's fingers from coming out of the ball. Murai and his friends left the impatient Onizuka and left the bowling alley as they were, and on their way home, they were entangled by the Yankees and fell into a big pinch.

Welcome to the Village Hidden in the Leaves, where deadly serious Ninja roam the landscape and the seriously mischievous Naruto Uzumaki causes trouble everywhere he goes. But when he steals the ancient scroll of sealing, he unleashes a rare power rarely seen in a 12-year-old boy!

With so many participants still left, the groups are told that they will be pitted against each other in preliminary matches. Kabuto leaves, then Sasuke is told he has to fight. They know that Sasuke was given the cursed seal and if it takes over they will stop him. Can Sasuke stop the seal from taking over again and still win?

Konohamaru, the grandson of Leaf Village's Third Hokage, shows up at the Chunin Exam site. He comes along with Moegi and Udon to cover the events for the Ninja Academy's school newspaper. Konohamaru looks up to Naruto like an older brother and through interviews with the characters, recaps their adventures thus far.