User Reviews

This episode is special like the next ones because Naruto is absent. The protagonist is without doubt Asuma's team. The other teams are searching for the Akatsuki on each spot where bounties are recollected, but most of them seem abandoned. Raido's team finds a man who knows nothing about the Akatsuki. With Aoba, Ino and Choji decide to wait there until some team calls them for back up or until the Akatsuki arrive. But the real fight starts somewhere else. Hidan is surprised by Asuma, and attacks him, but the Sarutobi dodges it. Right on time, Shikamaru immobilizes Hidan with his shadow, while Kotetsu and Izumo stab him. Sadly, Hidan remains unworried so they realize he's immortal. Asuma's plan was brilliant, but as Hidan said, they got the wrong enemy, if they found Deidara, surely it would have worked. The talk begins, Asuma answers that they're from Konoha and must eliminate or capture the Akatsuki, he intended kill one and capture the other, but now the plan has to change. He and Shikamaru wonder where's the other one, and suddenly Kakuzu appears and tries to hit Shikamaru on the roof. He's forced to evade it, so Hidan is released from the shadow. Both villains realize that Asuma is a former shinobi guardian, so Kakuzu is interested in the reward for his head. Now, the team retreats by Asuma's command, while Hidan tells Kakuzu that he will handle this fight alone. The discussion starts as Shikamaru and Asuma wonder what they can do against them: Asuma wants Shikamaru to immobilize Hidan so he can chop his head, he intends to make the risk move. They don't know what Kakuzu will do, but they know he won't stay quiet forever. Anyway, Shikamaru and Asuma know that their enemies are stronger than them, and that they won't let them retire. So The battle begins: they combine their attacks, while Izumo and Kotetsu protect Shikamaru. Hidan is experienced and dodges Asuma's blades and the shadows, and he tries to wound the leader with his scythe. This goes on until Hidan fools everyone: he attempts to attack the three with the scythe, Asuma tries to protect them, but at last Hidan brings back the scythe wounding him in the face. This was always his intention, he already drew a symbol on the ground with his own blood. Asuma also makes his move by throwing incendiary ashes and fire to him, but Hidan starts his ritual by drinking a drop of Asuma's blood from the scythe. This is how it ends a very good episode, full of action, intrigue, and drama. Anyone of Asuma's team can die, Hidan seemingly cannot, while Kakuzu is a mystery. Their dark humour remains, as Kakuzu is more cautious and warns Hidan to be careful or he might die. The dark man is also playing his game by watching the fight. Probably these two are the best villains of all Shippuden, along Sasori and Madara Uchiha. They're dark, and balance each other, Hidan being loud, impatient but at the same time sadistic and cruel, while Kakuzu is serious, cautious, quiet, and with a killer instinct.