Episode Summaries

Naruto struggles to combine his Rasengan with his wind nature. One of his shadow clones enter into its three-tailed form and dispels the other shadow clones, although Yamato is able to suppress and subdue it with his Wood Release: Foo Dog Heads. As Naruto lies down on the ground, the clouds overhead begin to start pouring rain, and Naruto remembers Sasuke. Not wanting to give up now, he resumes his training.

At the Akatsuki hideout, Hidan is outraged when he learns that he must stay in place for three days as they extract the Two-Tails from its jinchūriki, Yugito Nii. Hidan tells the leader that he has his own goals and does not care about the Akatsuki's; the leader, however, tells him that so long as he is affiliated with them, he will contribute to their true goal. Claiming that he's the second newest member after Tobi and is unaware of the Akatsuki's plans, the leader divulges how the Akatsuki will create conflict and reap war in order to make a profit and corner the market themselves, using the tailed beasts to create more wars and create their own private army consisting of mercenaries.

Izumo, Kotetsu and Shikamaru return to Konoha, where they report Asuma's death to Tsunade. Tsunade tells the others to prepare for Asuma's funeral while she breaks the news to Kurenai; Shikamaru, however, offers to do it himself, as he claims he has a message from Asuma to pass on to her.

In the clearing, after Naruto explains his trouble of combining the Rasengan and his wind chakra as looking left and right at the same time, Kakashi creates a shadow clone and shows how one can look in two directions at the same time. Recalling how it takes him one shadow clone just to form the Rasengan itself, Naruto decides to have a second shadow clone aid in the process, with the second clone being in charge of creating the wind chakra and applying it to the Rasengan. Naruto's attempts are fruitful, and he ends up creating his own jutsu - Wind Release: Rasengan. Kakashi tells Naruto that he has taken a liking to him, although Naruto misinterprets his words. Before the two can settle their confusion, Yamato reports to the two that Asuma had been killed.