[NARUTO 20th Anniversary Column] Retracing the NARUTO Anime's Ninja Way No.6: Two Saviors Arc ~ The Five Kage Assemble Arc | NARUTO OFFICIAL SITE (NARUTO & BORUTO) (2024)

In this column, we'll be looking back at the NARUTO anime to celebrate the 20th anniversary of its first broadcast on TV in Japan! Join this writer, a fellow fan from the NARUTO generation, as we retrace the series from its humble beginnings to its climactic conclusion! This article picks up the story starting from the Two Saviors arc, where the Village Hidden in the Leaves faces its greatest crisis yet!

Naruto is called to the Hokage's office and learns of Jiraiya's passing.

A dark cloud hovers over Naruto as he is struck with grief at his master's death. He falls into despondency, but Iruka and Shikamaru reach out to him, each with their own brand of encouragement.

"LORD JIRAIYA ONLY EVER HAD PRAISE FOR YOU.

HE HAD FAITH THAT YOU WERE THE ONE WHO WOULD INHERIT HIS WILL.
AND TRULY BELIEVED THAT YOU WOULD BECOME A WONDERFUL HOKAGE ONE DAY.

CHEER UP!
FOR YOU ARE A DISTINGUISHED STUDENT ACKNOWLEDGED BY LORD JIRAIYA OF THE PRODIGAL THREE HIMSELF."

"WE CAN'T STAY SNOT-NOSED BRATS FOREVER.
IF WE WANNA BECOME ULTRA-COOL SHINOBI...
LIKE ASUMA AND LORD JIRAIYA, THAT IS.

SO PULL YOURSELF TOGETHER, NARUTO...
...CUZ YOU GOT WORK TO DO."

Heartened by the words of his teacher and friend, Naruto reflects upon the things Jiraiya has entrusted to him and finds the strength to begin moving forward once again.

The Hidden Leaf's Cipher Division is stumped by the coded message regarding Pain's identity that Jiraiya left behind, but Naruto's familiarity with his master's handwriting due to all their travels together proves to be the key!

Upon his arrival at Mount Myoboku, Naruto is eager to learn all about Sage Jutsu!
However, the Great Sage Toad f*ckasaku's first lesson seems unexpectedly simple: Naruto must learn to be still.

Even when warned that those who fail to control the nature energy required by Sage Jutsu are permanently transformed into stone frogs, Naruto continues forging ahead toward his goal without hesitation.

Naruto succeeds in developing the discipline required to stop all movement and take in nature energy, and the eye rings that prove sagehood appear on his face as he enters Sage Mode!

Next, he must practice the frogs' sparring style, Frog Kumite, in order to become more adept at using Sage Jutsu chakra in combat.

While Naruto is absorbed in his training at Mount Myoboku, the Akatsuki's leader, Pain, makes his move.
The Six Paths of Pain appear alongside Konan on the outskirts of the Village Hidden in the Leaves...

As simultaneous attacks are carried out in various locations around the village, the Hidden Leaf is instantly transformed into a battlefield!

With Tsunade at the helm, the Leaf's ninja come together to fight back against Pain's assault on their village.

Kakashi takes on two of the Six Paths of Pain, Tendo and Shurado, halting the incursion of the enemy's vanguard.
After analyzing his opponents' abilities, he works together with the father-son duo of Choza and Choji in an attempt to gain the upper hand.

But their plan fails, and the Hidden Leaf ninja are instead hit with the full force of Tendo's Almighty Push.
Only Choji remains able to move. Kakashi charges him with delivering the information they've acquired on Pain to Tsunade, using Kamui one last time to cover the young ninja's escape.

Having used up the last of his stamina and chakra, Kakashi sets off toward a long-awaited reunion with his fallen comrades.

The flames of battle rage on, and even Genin like Konohamaru are embroiled in the conflict.
Meanwhile, Tendo appears before Tsunade, the leader and cornerstone of the Hidden Leaf's defensive forces.

After his dialogue with the Hokage fails to bring about any resolution, Pain steels himself and rises high into the skies above.
Once there, he uses his Almighty Push at its maximum power.

The unbelievable destruction wreaked by Pain's attack reduces the Hidden Leaf to rubble.
And in his village's darkest hour, Naruto returns from Mount Myoboku!

Bearing the grief and anger of all the Hidden Leaf ninja that lie wounded and fallen around him, Naruto stands alone and challenges Pain!

He unleashes the full might of his Sage Jutsu upon the enormous beast summoned by Chikushodo, fighting in concert with the Two Great Sage Toads, f*ckasaku and Shima!

Naruto proceeds to blow away more summoned creatures with his Sage Art: Giant Rasengan, before overpowering Gakido with his Frog Kumite!

The explosive action continues with Wind Style: Rasen Shuriken, the detrimental impact of which Naruto was able to overcome using his new sage powers, followed by a Rasengan Barrage!
When his Sage Mode runs out, he makes use of Reverse Summoning to call a Shadow Clone from Mount Myoboku, where he had left three on standby to provide back-up Sage Mode chakra! And with that, Sage Mode Naruto is back in action!

Though he manages to defeat five of The Six Paths of Pain, the remaining Tendo successfully retaliates, killing f*ckasaku and pinning Naruto to the ground.

Pain speaks of how the suffering everyone experiences when losing those precious to them feeds into an endless cycle of hatred.
The speech strikes a chord with Naruto, and he begins to doubt his own convictions.

Struck down and stabbed by Pain, Hinata lies still on the ground after valiantly trying to protect Naruto.
At this tragic sight, his previous doubts are swallowed by rage, and the Nine Tails' chakra comes flooding out.

The rampaging power of the Nine Tails gives Naruto the upper hand against Tendo, but the Jinchuriki spirals further and further out of control, becoming a threat to the very village he seeks to protect.

While Pain's Planetary Devastation is able to temporarily contain the monstrosity, it also spurs the Nine Tails' rage on.
Eight tails have formed, and just as Naruto is about to fully release the monster inside him—

—the Fourth Hokage appears inside his consciousness!!

Minato reveals that he is Naruto's father, and informs his son that the Nine Tails' attack 16 years ago was orchestrated by the same "masked man" Naruto met during an encounter with the Akatsuki.
He entrusts Naruto with the task of finding the "answer" to ending the cycle of hatred that plagues the shinobi world.

Full of newfound purpose, Naruto faces Pain once more.

Aiming for the intervals when Tendo is unable to use his Almighty Push, Naruto goes on the offensive.
However, his Rasen Shuriken attacks fail to hit, and even after creating an army of Shadow Clones he is still unable to strike before each brief window of opportunity closes.

The words of his teacher and his father at the forefront of his mind, Naruto pushes on with unwavering determination and finally defeats Tendo using Rasengan. With the Six Paths of Pain out of the way, Naruto goes to confront Pain's true body—Nagato.

Naruto finally stands before the man who killed Jiraiya despite also having been one of his students.

Nagato recounts the events that led him and his comrades to this point, ending with his answer regarding the problem of human suffering and the cycle of hatred: "True peace cannot exist in this cursed world." After considering Nagato's conclusion and the story behind it, Naruto responds with his own answer.

"PERVY SAGE BELIEVED IN ME, AND LEFT ME HIS QUEST...
SO I GOTTA... BELIEVE IN PERVY SAGE'S BELIEF!
THAT'S MY ANSWER."

IF THERE'S SUCH A THING AS PEACE, I'LL FIND IT!
I'M NOT GIVING UP!"

Jiraiya's beliefs about the road to peace were embodied by the main character of one of his books, a shinobi named "Naruto".
Quoting the character whose name he bears, Naruto resolves to take on his teacher's vision for the world.

Naruto's answer and the strength of his belief in it stir something in Nagato, allowing him to see beyond the hatred his heart has been chained to for so long.

Nagato uses the last of his strength to undo the death and destruction he wrought upon the Hidden Leaf, leaving Naruto to carry on the role of the "Child of Prophecy".

After defeating Pain and confronting Nagato, Naruto returns to the village and is celebrated as a hero by the people of the Hidden Leaf.

As the people of the Hidden Leaf begin reconstructing their home, Danzo—a shinobi immersed in the dark underside of the village—is appointed as the Sixth Hokage in place of Tsunade, who remains comatose.
Shocking news spreads as messengers from the Hidden Cloud Village come to report that their shinobi Killer Bee has been abducted by none other than Sasuke, and receive permission to eliminate him as a rogue ninja!

Each Hidden Village's Kage is sent off by their people before heading to the Land of Iron where the Five Kage Summit is to be held.

Hidden Sand Village's Kazekage: Gaara

Hidden Stone Village's Tsuchikage: Ohnoki

Hidden Mist Village's Mizukage: Mei

Hidden Cloud Village's Raikage: Ay

Hidden Leaf Village's Hokage: Danzo

Meanwhile, Naruto tails the Hidden Cloud's messengers, determined to negotiate directly with the Raikage about Sasuke.

"SASUKE... UCHIHA SASUKE...
I WANT YOU TO CANCEL HIS DISPOSAL...

PLEASE!!
I DON'T WANT ANY MORE VENGEANCE-BASED WAR!!!"

In an ineloquent yet heartfelt speech, Naruto begs the Raikage to stop the cycle of revenge that poisons the shinobi world in an effort to fulfill Nagato's wish for a path towards peace. But the Raikage continues to head for the summit, indifferent to Naruto's appeal.

Discussions regarding the Tailed Beasts, the Akatsuki, and the need for an alliance between shinobi villages are derailed when Danzo is accused of using genjutsu to manipulate the proceedings. Amid the dispute that follows, the Akatsuki's Zetsu and Sasuke's group, Taka, breach the premises!!

The first to locate Sasuke are the Raikage and his entourage, Darui and Cee!
Displaying impregnable teamwork centered around Ay and his off-the-charts power, the Hidden Cloud ninja attack! Taka works together to counter them, but...

...cloaked in Lightning Style chakra, the Raikage's nintaijutsu is an unstoppable force!!

Sasuke is worn down by the Mizukage's deadly Kekkei Genkai attacks and nearly turned to dust by the Tsuchikage's Kekkei Touta, but Tobi—the masked man who now introduces himself as Madara Uchiha—saves him in the nick of time.

He proceeds to detail his plan, "Project Tsuki no Me", the objective of which is to revive the Ten Tails by collecting all nine Tailed Beasts and use its power to lock the entire world in a genjutsu called "Infinite Tsukuyomi". When the Kage refuse to cooperate, he declares war on the shinobi world.

Meanwhile, Sasuke is warped from the summit building and brought face to face with Danzo.
The first battle in his revenge against the Hidden Leaf begins.

Danzo triggers a mysterious ability using numerous Sharingan implanted in his arm. Seeing his enemy use eyes stolen from the Uchiha like this fans the flames of Sasuke's fury.

The jutsu Danzo keeps using to cheat death is revealed to be Izanagi, a forbidden visual jutsu of the Uchiha Clan.
Sasuke is hard-pressed to counter this incredible genjutsu, which essentially allows the user to negate anything that harms them. But by analyzing Izanagi's mechanics and then strategically using a genjutsu of his own, Sasuke turns the tables—and his blade pierces Danzo at last.

Completely fixated on his revenge, Sasuke does not hesitate when Karin is taken hostage, stabbing straight through her as well to finish Danzo.

Danzo's blood still fresh on his hands, Sasuke prepares to depart for the Hidden Leaf, intent on continuing his revenge.

Sakura appears before him alone, having knocked out the rest of the Leaf's search unit.

She is determined to take the burden of killing Sasuke upon herself and attempts to gain his trust to create an opening. But Sasuke perceives her intent, blindsiding Sakura with Chidori—

—only to be blocked by Kakashi, who steps up to be Sasuke's next opponent.

Previously master and student, the two wielders of Mangekyo Sharingan engage in battle.

Sakura makes a second attempt on Sasuke's life but her resolve wavers...
And when she fails to follow through, Sasuke goes for the kill!

This time, Naruto rushes to the rescue. The four members of Team 7 are together once again...

Naruto and Sasuke acknowledge each other as opponents whose paths are fated to cross again.
Seeming oddly at peace, a reinvigorated Naruto returns to the Hidden Leaf Village with his comrades.

At about the same time, Tsunade regains consciousness!