Following Naruto's team arrival, Kakashi orders Sai and Sakura to assist Shikamaru, and sends Pakkun to guide them. He thinks that a medic and a long distance fighter will be perfect to sus againt Hidan. While they go to the woods, Sai thinks Shikamaru was senseless for trying to battle Hidan alone. But Sakura knows her friend much better, and remembers that some time ago, Tsunade recalled being proud of him, that she could understimate him despite his apparent lazy attitude. Turns out that the Lord of the Land of Fire requested Shikamaru to be one of his guardians, but he declined. Sakura watched him talking to Asuma: he said that he wanted to stay at Konoha with Ino, Choji, even Naruto. Asuma guessed that he has the will of fire, the natural desire to protect his friends and the village from anything. While smoking, he recalls what his old man used to say. Sakura trust Shikamaru's will, as he's the smartest in the land of Fire.
And so, like always, Shikamaru has a masterplan. He uses all the paper bombs tangled with threads connected to the trees to roll up Hidan. Also, he throws a knife to a small mark on the ground to produce a hole, right under Hidan. It's revealed that he prepared the trap days ago, right there, in the woods from clan Nara. Hidan is stunned, but thinks that his immortality will allow him to come back one day. But Shikamaru tells that the animals, the dears of the woods will watch him. Guided by Asuma's spirit, who makes him the heir of his will of Fire, Shikamaru throws the lighter and all the bombs explode. This was a brilliant finale for Hidan. Shikamaru told that he couldn't let him walk out like nothing after what he did to Asuma. But also, it's clear that Hidan was a danger for anyone in Konoha and the world. He was a mad man, loud, helpless provoker, experienced murderer who felt pleasure by torturing and killing other persons, all for his god Jashin. The Nara did what he did partially for vengeance, but also because he had to, in order to protect Konoha, and Naruto. He had his deserved protagonism, he defeated one of the Akatsuki on his own, by using the information gathered in the previous fight. Sakura's memory of Asuma and Shikamaru was great, and served to make one final appearance for the Sarutobi.
On the other hand, Naruto and Yamato are informed by Kakashi of Kakuzu's abilities. But Naruto doesn't want the rest to intervene, he intends to prove the new jutsu as soon as he can, even though he looks tired from the training. He sends clones against Kakuzu but to see the monster in action. The clones are shattered with threads, but as Kakashi observes, Naruto did it on purpose to recover the experience. Then, he creates two more clones to create the wind jutsu: a rasengan with form of shuriken, where the wind is whirling at high speed. Kakashi recalls how his arm was hurt, he faced the rasengan against the rasen shuriken to test its power. Kakuzu is surprised by that wind technique and recognizes that if it reaches him, it will be over. As Naruto runs, Kakashi sees in him the spirit of the 4th Hokage. This clearly implies the family tie between them. The result of the jutsu is the expected. Combine wind with a sphere rasengan would create something like that, given the wind's speed and power to cut. Kakashi relating father and son was a brilliant idea. And well, surely looks like Kakuzu is less powerful than before, but he is recognizing that he is outnumbered. He's smart enough to realize that he's facing the jinchuriki (he noticed given the clones), and is aware that Kakashi and Yamato are still present. And the fight doesn't have to be so long, the script is not like that. So, the episode was very well written.
And so, like always, Shikamaru has a masterplan. He uses all the paper bombs tangled with threads connected to the trees to roll up Hidan. Also, he throws a knife to a small mark on the ground to produce a hole, right under Hidan. It's revealed that he prepared the trap days ago, right there, in the woods from clan Nara. Hidan is stunned, but thinks that his immortality will allow him to come back one day. But Shikamaru tells that the animals, the dears of the woods will watch him. Guided by Asuma's spirit, who makes him the heir of his will of Fire, Shikamaru throws the lighter and all the bombs explode. This was a brilliant finale for Hidan. Shikamaru told that he couldn't let him walk out like nothing after what he did to Asuma. But also, it's clear that Hidan was a danger for anyone in Konoha and the world. He was a mad man, loud, helpless provoker, experienced murderer who felt pleasure by torturing and killing other persons, all for his god Jashin. The Nara did what he did partially for vengeance, but also because he had to, in order to protect Konoha, and Naruto. He had his deserved protagonism, he defeated one of the Akatsuki on his own, by using the information gathered in the previous fight. Sakura's memory of Asuma and Shikamaru was great, and served to make one final appearance for the Sarutobi.
On the other hand, Naruto and Yamato are informed by Kakashi of Kakuzu's abilities. But Naruto doesn't want the rest to intervene, he intends to prove the new jutsu as soon as he can, even though he looks tired from the training. He sends clones against Kakuzu but to see the monster in action. The clones are shattered with threads, but as Kakashi observes, Naruto did it on purpose to recover the experience. Then, he creates two more clones to create the wind jutsu: a rasengan with form of shuriken, where the wind is whirling at high speed. Kakashi recalls how his arm was hurt, he faced the rasengan against the rasen shuriken to test its power. Kakuzu is surprised by that wind technique and recognizes that if it reaches him, it will be over. As Naruto runs, Kakashi sees in him the spirit of the 4th Hokage. This clearly implies the family tie between them. The result of the jutsu is the expected. Combine wind with a sphere rasengan would create something like that, given the wind's speed and power to cut. Kakashi relating father and son was a brilliant idea. And well, surely looks like Kakuzu is less powerful than before, but he is recognizing that he is outnumbered. He's smart enough to realize that he's facing the jinchuriki (he noticed given the clones), and is aware that Kakashi and Yamato are still present. And the fight doesn't have to be so long, the script is not like that. So, the episode was very well written.
