Original subtitles

Stop there!

You're a Leaf shinobi?

Yes, I'm Kakashi Hatake of the Hidden Leaf Village. Our leader, the Hokage, sent me here.

I bear with me a joint letter from the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sand.

Fine. I'll accept it.

No, I've been ordered to present it only to your leader, Hanzo of the Salamander himself.

You may not!! Why do you want to get close to Lord Hanzo?

Threatening me is the same as threatening the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sand.

Is that really what you want to do?

[gasp]

All right then... I'll let him know.

[rain and thunder]

Lord Hanzo will see you now. Surender all of your weapons and enter.

[Thinking] The rumors were correct.

They have strict rules about entering this nation.

[Thinking] It seems his security is air tight...

(Hanzo) Kakashi Katake. Good of you to come.

(Hanzo) You may put the message that you brought over there.

The Leaf's invited us to the Chunin Exams they're sponsoring with the Sand.

It's probably just a ploy to gather all of the villages and spy on them.

Hanzo sent many genin before

so that they could represent the village in the previous Chunin Exams...

Then this time around, we shall send a few teams to placate them, too.

Let them keep believing Hanzo's still the leader of the Hidden Rain Village

While we gather intel on the Jinchuriki.

Understood.

Is everyone present now?

A letter has arrived from Hanzo of the Salamander from the Hidden Rain Village.

Huh...

Well, well...

He's sending genin to join the Hidden Leaf and the Hidden Sand, as he did previously.

So does this repudiate the rumors that we've been hearing about the Hidden Rain Village, then?

No, I'm afraid it doesn't. Sending some genin to participate could just be a ruse

to hide the truth of what's really going on.

Then...?

Huh. When the Hidden Rain genin that they're sending arrive in the Leaf,

make sure to keep a close eye on them.

[big yawn]

Man, I am so bored...

Fuu! Lord Shibuki wants to see you.

What?! Oh no! Did I do something wrong?

(Kegon) Lord Shibuki, we've brought Fuu.

Hey! Fuu!

Uh, hey. So, what's up there, Chief?

What were you thinking!?

Why'd you send an application for the Chunin Exams to the Hidden Leaf?

Was that bad? So, then, can you just recommend me, for real, sir?

What!? Seriously!? What will you do if it's found out you're a Jinchuriki?

Well then, I guess I'll just go on my own...!

[gasp] Uh, hold on, wait!

Just wait, Fuu.

I wanna see what the outside world's all about!

If you won't acknowledge me, Chief, I'll just have to leave the village!

Uh... All right!

I know that you never give up once you make up your mind.

So you'll let me go, then?!

But just listen to me, okay?

[small gasp]

The Chunin Exams isn't just some run-of-the-mill test.

It's a battle where you put your life on the line for your dreams

and the pride of your village.

Throughout our past, the Hidden Waterfall Village was smaller than the Leaf of Sand...

Despite that, we were feared as a shinobi village that always produced skilled jonin.

That's why, even though we aren't part of the Five Great Nations, we're allotted a Tailed Beast.

[small gasp]

The new Chunin Exams is our chance to impress other shinobi leaders

and Feudal Lords who hire Hidden Villages.

This is an ideal opportunity to restore our past glory.

Since you insist, go, fight well, and make a name for the Hidden Waterfall.

Woohoo! All right! I'm on it! I'm gonna go rile up a storm!

However! Don't let anybody find out that you're a Jinchuriki...

(Fuu) Okay!!!

[sigh]

Kegon, Yourou... Hide that you're jonin and guard Fuu.

-Right! -Right!

[Sigh] Man, that girl's a real handful...

(Shizune) Does this mean the Hidden Waterfall Village is really

only going to send one team of three people?

It's almost terrifying in its brevity...

But still, it is an official application.

Shortly, we should close the registration period.

-Ahhh! -[pig squeal]

What is it!?

We forgot to sign up any entrants from the Hidden Leaf Village!

What!?

(Kankuro) Are you actually going to supervise?

Yes, I am planning to oversee the finals of the second round

so no fatalities occur during it.

You think you'll solve something by outing the rebels!?

No...

Then why do this!? Why would you face danger head on?

My feelings haven't changed since that time...

You mean, you wanna find some way to bond with the rebels!? But that's impossible!

Even though you want to do that, they're never going to lilsten to you!

He is... Naruto is working hard to forge bonds with others...

So I'm not going to give up either,

'till the day I can share suffering, sadness, and joy with others...

I think of this as my first true test as Kazekage of the Sand.

[Thinking] Once he makes up his mind, he won't listen! Damn it!

(Tsunade) The Hidden Sand's sending the same as before:

nine teams, twenty-seven shinobi. The Hidden rain will have 15. And the Hidden

Grass have 6. The Hidden Waterfall also sent word that they will be sending a team of 3

The Hidden Cloud and the Land of Water have both sent their polite regrets.

...but our invitation was sent back by the Land of Earth.

As the host village, we'll have to enter the same amount of participants as we did in the last Exams.

All of you are to list each of the Genin you supervise and turn in your recommendations.

[gasp]

[nom nom nom]

Are you kidding me, Choji!? That meat's barely cooked!

I think meat tastes best when there's still a little red left inside of it.

Hey, Asuma Sensei... What'll our team do? For the new Chunin Exams I mean.

Considering your skill level now, it's only natural that I

recommend you for the competition.

But Shikamaru's already a chunin so he can't enter.

Huh... So that means we're gonna be one member short.

Listen, guys, currently,

Shikamaru is kind of like the brains, the leader of this team...

And if I'm to find a replacement, then...

It'll be hard for them to be a stand-in for just the Chunin Exams.

You know... I think I may already have someone in mind...

Hm?

Are you serious? Someone who rivals Shikamaru in intelligence?

Wow...

Ah... ah... achoo!

Is there really someone like that?

Well, maybe she's not as smart as Shikamaru, but she just might be tougher than him!

You're gonna be fine now!

[knocking at the door]

Huh?

Me? Join Team Asuma?

Sasuke and Naruto are both still missing from Team 7 now, aren't they?

Mhm...

So you need to join a three-man team in order to take part in the Chunin Exams, right?

[sad sigh]

So join us! Kay? Come on!

But...

I know the strength that you possess better than anyone else.

At the last Chunin Exams... I got a real good taste of your power...

Still, I can't... Please, just find someone else, okay?

What!? Why? Listen, we both know just how hard you've been

training under Lady Tsunade for the past two years...

You've grown so much in that time!

[gasp]

If you're just going to wait for Naruto and Sasuke,

then you'll never be able to grab any of the opportunities that come your way!

No, it's not that, Ino.

If you add me to your team now, I'll probably just get in your guys' way.

No, that's not true! C'mon, please!

Take this! Cha!

Your movements are getting much better!

By the way, do you remember the first thing I taught you?

Of course, ma'am! Medic Ninja must never get themselves killed.

Thus, they must never force their way forward in combat.

Yes, that is true.

At the same time, that does not excuse you from learning how to fight on the front line.

And, what I'm teaching you right now...

Keep it in your heart as you continue training. Got it?

Yes!

While I'm training, I feel like I'm always a burden to others.

But...

Hm?

How'd it go? What did Sakura say?

Well, she turned us down.

Whaaat!? But our team's short 1 and she's short 2 for the Chunin Exams!

I thought this would be the perfect solution.

What exactly did Sakura say to you?

She basically told me that she doesn't want to be a burden on all of us.

That really sounds like a big drag.

But I'm not gonna give up that easily!

[sigh]

[chatter]

(Shizune) Excuse me!

Oh, I'm sorry.

Go ahead. Thanks so much!

Excuse me! Can you look at these and put your seal of approval on them?

Shizune! Are you trying to work me to death?

It's been a while since we had the Chunin Exams.

And we aren't gonna be able to move forward with

anything at all without your express approval!

Damn it... I didn't expect there to be so much work...

Oh, I forgot. Sakura was just outside here.

She was? If she needed something why didn't she come in?

[thinking] What would Naruto do if he was in my place?

All right, I'm going to attack you now, and it's going to be for real!

[gasp]

Come at me like you mean it, too, as if I'm really your enemy!

[small grunt]

Right! You got it.

[gasp]

[gasp]

What happened?

Sakura! This man got caught in a landslide on a mission. He's critical!

He needs emergency surgery, now!

Take him to the ICU quickly!

Right!

Okay... I'm starting treatment.

I can't keep running behind Naruto and Sasuke forever.

I have to surpass my limits on my own...

Whoa!

Ahh!

It's no good! I don't have enough chakra!

I need to focus more chakra for the surgery!

More... more chakra!

(Tsunade) Sakura is what!?

Yes, we just received word from the Leaf Hospital.

Damn...

What? Sorry, but I don't understand. Sakura is skilled enough to handle the surgery.

If she were her usual self. We have to go!

Sakura!

She completed the Jutsu ritual using her chakra.

The surgery succeeded. Just leave it to a student of yours!

She did a great job!

I see!

You are truly a student of Tsunade, one of the Legendary Sannin.

...you should now be able to overcome any obstacle in your way.

(Shizune) Okay! With the team of Ino, Choji, and Sakura, our entrants list is finally complete!

It's not as many as the 29 teams we had last time, but it's a good list of participants!

Yes...

Now the time has come...

(Udon) The Chunin Exams! It's sure been a while since they last held them!

(Shikamaru) Yep, two years now.

(Konohamaru) Hold on, that means Big Brother Naruto's coming back, right!?

(Shikamaru) Huh, Naruto?

(Konohamaru) Isn't he coming back to take the Chunin Exams?

(Shikamaru) He's not coming.

(Konohamaru) What!?

(Shikamaru) Who knows what kind of training he's going now. Nobody knows where he is!

(Naruto) Next time on Naruto Shippuden: "The Three Questions"

(Konohamaru) They're really gonna go ahead without Big Brother Naruto!?