An ANBU sends a message to Konoha moments before he dies, having discovered what may be Orochimaru's current hideout. Meanwhile, Orochimaru has Guren initiate a battle among a large number of experimental specimens with the survivors being used for a future operation. Naruto is warned not to use Rasen Shuriken due to its extreme risk, and Sasuke meets a boy called Y?kimaru. Kakashi is orde... more.

In the aftermath of the battle, Teams 7 and 10 return to the Hidden Leaf Village. After examining Naruto, Tsunade officially classifies Naruto's new technique as a Forbidden Jutsu and warns Kakashi never to let him use it again. What is the terrible secret of Rasen Shuriken that has left even Tsunade stunned by its power? Meanwhile, Orochimaru orders Kabuto to search for a woman who will help hi... more.

Naruto attacks Kakuzu with Rasen Shuriken, but his attack dissipates before he can land a hit. Meanwhile, Shikamaru uses an explosive tag to fill in the hole containing Hidan's broken body and still screaming head. He is joined by Sakura and Sai, and they head back to the others. Naruto creates a Rasen Shuriken again, this time sending a Shadow Clone carrying it as a decoy. Kakuzu takes th... more.

Sakura and Sai leave to help Shikamaru. Hidan attempts to break out of Shikamaru's weakened hold on him, but Shikamaru uses a new technique to pull the explosive tags he set up onto his body. Shikamaru then opens a trap hole he had prepared, and reveals that his plan was to bury Hidan beneath the Nara family woods. He has a vision of Asuma entrusting his "will of fire" to him, then uses his ... more.

Hidan stabs himself, but instead of mortally wounding Shikamaru with his curse, he destroys another one of Kakuzu's hearts. Shikamaru fails to behead Hidan, so he pins him down with his shadow possession. It turns out that the vial contains Kakuzu's blood. Kakuzu is temporarily incapacitated. His other hearts return to his body, with one sacrificing itself to become his heart. Just as Kaku... more.

Shikamaru realizes Kakuzu has five hearts, each of which must be killed before he dies. He reasons that separating the two Akatsuki is the only way to defeat them, so he uses Shadow Possession Jutsu to lead Hidan to a forest. Kakuzu combines two of his hearts into a single entity and prepares to face Kakashi, Ino and Choji to get a replacement heart. At the same time, Hidan strikes Shikama... more.

Choji's spiked cannonball is ineffective against Kakuzu's special ability, which enables him to harden his skin. Naruto learns more about the five elements and their strengths and weaknesses in relation to each other. Kakuzu gets struck by Kakashi's Lightning Blade right through the heart, but survives and produces four masked entities from his body, one of which dies, as it had been struc... more.

Tsunade tells Sakura that Team 7 will be Team 10's backup if Naruto finishes his training within 24 hours. Shikamaru quickly adjusts the team's strategy to include Kakashi. After Hidan and Kakuzu are found, Shikamaru pins the shadows of the Akatsuki pair with Asuma's blades imbued with his chakra. He uses Hidan to attack Kakuzu, but Kakuzu had secretly detached his arm during Shikamaru's a... more.

A funeral is held for Asuma, but Shikamaru does not attend it, choosing instead to sulk at home. After careful prodding by his father during a game of Shogi, Shikamaru works through his emotions, and comes up with a strategy to defeat Asuma's killers, Hidan and Kakuzu. Team 10 visits Asuma's grave before setting out for revenge, but Tsunade stops them, telling them that they need a four-ma... more.

Naruto struggles to combine shape and elemental manipulation in his new technique. Elsewhere, the Akatsuki begin sealing the two-tailed beast, and the Akatsuki leader reveals that Akatsuki plans to use the tailed beasts to cause conflict, serving as mercenaries at a lower cost than the ninja of the hidden villages, replacing them and eventually taking over the world. News of Asuma's death re... more.