Source: Wikipedia
“Hidden Jutsu: The Price of The Ninja Art: Kujaku”
“It is revealed that the masked ninja who stole the star is Sumaru’s mother and that Akahoshi is the one who kidnapped Sumaru. The group learns that the star training is potentially fatal to the ninja who takes part in it, but resolves to find the star. Tenten and Lee infiltrate Akahoshi’s residence and rescue Sumaru. Meanwhile, Akahoshi approaches Natsuhi and demands the star in exchange for Sumaru, and the two fight. While Natsuhi gains the upper hand, Naruto and Neji intervene for Akahoshi, and Naruto manages to get close enough to punch Natsuhi. After he does, Akahoshi launches an attack at the two of them, dropping them into the Valley of Death.”
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Analysis
The following analysis will look at the possible explanation I gave in my previous analysis. I was right about some things, and I was also wrong about some things. Moreover, in this episode, there was an element of appearance versus reality, external conflict, and dramatic irony.
It is revealed that the masked ninja who stole the star is Sumaru’s mother, and that Akahoshi is the one who kidnapped Sumaru. Based on the possible explanation in my previous analysis, I was right to say that one of Sumaru’s parents was alive. However, I forgot to mention that Sumaru’s father was alive. It turns out it was only his mother who was alive, and the one who kidnapped him was Akahoshi, not Sumaru’s father. Therefore, it is safe to assume that Sumaru’s father is dead. Nonetheless, I still believe that Akahoshi had something to do with the third Hoshikage’s death, and as the plot continues to proceed in various episodes, we will see whether I am right or wrong.
The episode starts by showing Sumaru’s mother singing a lullaby, the same lullaby Sumaru sang in the previous episode. During the night in a cave, she remembers when Sumaru was a baby. While she was contemplating her memories, Akahoshi, disguised as the masked star thief, was flying in the air, supported by purple chakra wings, where he carried Sumaru on his back. Sumaru was also wearing a mask and was still unable to understand what was going on. The change of scenery between the one showing Sumaru’s mother and Sumaru being kidnapped gives the audience a glimpse of what might happen next. Sumaru’s mother, whose name is Natsuhi, is going to be the one to unfold everything about the star village and solve part of the mystery about the star.
As the plot thickens, that’s when we will see a sense of dramatic irony, whereas the audience will know something important that the other characters will not figure out in this episode. Moreover, I believe that Akahoshi purposely disguised himself as the star thief because he knew Sumaru and his friends would come out looking for the star thief. When he saw that Sumaru was weakened by his chakra, he saw the opportunity to kidnap him, and we will see later that he will use Sumaru to blackmail Sumaru’s mother into giving him the star.
While Akahoshi takes Sumaru to his residence, Naruto and Neji remain standing at the Valley of Death, contemplating what just happened. After some time, Tenten and Rock Lee arrived, and they noticed Sumaru’s friends were passed out on the ground. Naruto and Neji informed Tenten and Rock Lee that the “star thief” knocked them out and took Sumeru. So, the genin decided to carry Sumaru’s friends back to the training building so that they could rest. When the Genin arrived at the training building, they informed Hokuto of what had happened.
Meanwhile, Sumaru is at Akahoshi’s residence, where a room is lit with a candle. Moreover, he is lying in bed while unconscious, and he is covered by tubes on his body. The tubes are there to remove the poisonous yellow gas that Sumaru inhaled. Tense music starts to play in the background, and the scene shows Akahoshi and his men talking about their plan to get the star back.
While they were conversing, the men were feeling guilty about using Sumaru to get the star back. Akahoshi responded by saying, “Well, it’s too late; your hands are far too dirty to play the saint now, so enough of that. For now, we will let them think that the other masked Shinobi took Sumaru. Once we have the star back, well, we’ll leave it to them to sort it all out.” They plan on fooling the Genin into thinking that the masked Shinobi (Sumaru’s mother) is the one who took Sumaru. This is where the element of appearance versus reality comes into play. In appearance, Akahoshi will look innocent since the genin will not know that he kidnapped Sumaru yet. Tenten and Rock Lee will eventually find Sumaru at Akahoshi’s residence. His lies will no longer keep his secret agenda hidden.
While Akahoshi finished conversing with his men, the genin took care of Sumaru’s friends and managed to put each of them in their beds. At that moment, Neji noticed that Mizura was not feeling well, so he activated his Byakugan to see what was happening in Mizura’s body. He noticed a purple chakra encircling him, which left Neji perplexed. After some time, he will eventually let Naruto know what is happening to Mizura.
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Sumaru’s dream as a kid
While Neji finished assessing Mizura’s body, meanwhile, at Akahoshi’s residence, as Sumaru lay unconscious in his bed, he started dreaming about his childhood. In the dream around nighttime, he was standing outside and looking at the stars in the sky. After some time, he sees a glimpse of his parents as a purple light or a purple chakra. He tried to chase after them, but then they disappeared. What stood out in the dream was that Sumaru came across the third Hoshikage, comforting him with his words. He said to Sumaru, “No, Sumaru, don’t cry. Your parents died defending the star in our village to the very best of their abilities. Look up, Sumaru; look up at the sky; there is a treasure that can be seen only from the village hidden in the stars. If you claim your Shinobi birthright, then the village and the star are yours to defend. Be strong just as your parents were; make them proud of you, okay?” Afterwards, the third Hoshikage smiles, and Sumaru is shown to still have tears in his eyes. Back at the present, Sumaru said while he was unconscious, “All right, Hoshikage.”
It seems the third Hoshikage’s spirit came to visit him to let him know that his parents died defending the star. Moreover, when he said “shinobi right,” he probably meant Sumaru’s dream of becoming the Hoshikage. Therefore, if Sumaru had the blessing of the late third Hoshikage to become the Kage, Sumaru would most likely become the Hoshikage of his village. Furthermore, Sumaru losing his parents (we know his mother is alive), who died defending the star, is somehow reminiscent of Iruka’s experience of losing his parents. His parents died defending the village from the nine-tailed fox, and even the third Hokage was comforting him when he lost his parents. Sumaru, though, is like Naruto in the sense that they both want to become Kage. Sumaru somehow has a similar experience to Iruka as well.
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Hokuto reveals the secrets of the star village.
The group learns that the star training is potentially fatal to the ninja who takes part in it, but resolves to find the star. While Naruto was crafting a walking cane for Mizura so that it could help him walk, Neji arrived to let Naruto know about Mizura’s condition. Hokuto, meanwhile, was eavesdropping on their conversation while hiding behind a tree.
Neji: Naruto
Naruto: Yeah, what’s up?
Neji: At this rate, Mizura won’t make it. I sensed a disturbance in his chakra, so I investigated it. Even as he rests, his chakra is working at an alarmingly unsustainable rate; it’s too much for his body to take, and his systems will soon fail.
Hokuto is clenching her fist with a stunned look on his face as she continues to hide behind a tree.
Naruto: Are you serious? His chakra is going to kill him!
Neji: Without a doubt
Naruto: But how?
Tense music plays in the background with a mix of Japanese guitars as Hokuto decides to show herself, as she said:
Hokuto: It’s because of the star training.
Naruto: Huh?
Hokuto: The star has the unique power of triggering a surge in chakra. The problem is that most ninja are incapable of controlling the surge; their bodies give up, and they collapse, or worse, this is what happened to Mizura in the middle of his training. The third Hoshikage stopped this star training because it was proving far too dangerous for our people.
Neji: But you’re doing it again.
Hokuto: That’s because of Lord Akahoshi, our current leader. He decided to resume the star training six months ago.
Naruto: But that’s crazy! Somebody’s got to make him stop!
Hokuto retorts: We were born and raised here; we don’t fear this star training; we undergo it proudly.
Naruto (anxious): But why?
Hokuto (sad): We have been raised to believe there is no greater honour than to serve the village as a hidden star shinobi. For that, we sacrifice anything, even our own lives.
Naruto (looks down): Unbelievable.
The dialogue above shows dramatic irony in the sense that we, as the audience, knew that the star had side effects while the characters, Naruto and Neji, didn’t. Moreover, the dialogue also supported my possible explanation in the previous episode where I said, “Akahoshi, because he supports star training, and already, he and his men are trying to get the star back, even though they seem aware of the dangers of it. To them, it’s all about having power.” Akahoshi is very concerned with acquiring power, even if it means at the expense of the villagers’ lives; hence, he is selfish and is only concerned about his selfish ambitions.
Meanwhile, at the Valley of Death, Akahoshi sent out a messenger bird with a ransom note and a bit of his chakra and tossed it in the air to send a message to Natsuhi, Sumaru’s mother. While he sent out the messenger bird, Natsuhi was busy putting the star inside her late husband’s grave at a rocky place. As soon as she did that, that’s when she saw the messenger bird heading in her direction with Akahoshi’s purple chakra. She grabbed the bird using her purple chakra thread and read the ransom note that mentioned that Akahoshi had kidnapped Sumaru.
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Neji points out the suspicions behind the star thief.
While Natsuhi read the ransom note, Naruto and Neji’s team decided to find the star, even though they knew the truth about it. Neji also instructed Tenten and Rock Lee to investigate the village leader one more time because he had a valid reason. First, he said to the Genin, “I want to know why that flying Shinobi would risk his life going into the valley of death, and if he already had the star, why kidnap Sumaru?” Second, he made another point by saying, “The shinobi who grabbed the star had a very different chakra from the one who took Sumaru.” Lastly, Neji also pointed out that there are two different shinobi and that this mission is more complicated than they thought. Already, Akahoshi’s secrets are starting to unravel, and with Neji’s ability to decipher the situation, his secrets will come out sooner rather than later. This explains why Tsunade chose Neji as squad leader because he can assess any situation and look for clues that will solve the problem. Therefore, Neji plays an important role in unravelling Akahoshi’s lies.
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The external conflict between Akahoshi and Natsuhi
Meanwhile, Akahoshi approaches Natsuhi and demands the star in exchange for Sumaru, and the two fight. After reading the ransom note, she headed off to the Valley of Death, using her purple chakra to fly while wearing her face mask. On the way, she saw Akahoshi, who was not wearing a mask, waiting for her. As soon as she landed, Akahoshi began by saying, “As I expected, very impressive ninja art: Kujaku, lady Natsuhi.” Afterwards, he demands the star in exchange for Sumaru, and the two fight.
Both use Ninja Art: Kujaku Beast to attack each other. Yet the difference between their attacks is that Akahoshi’s purple beast chakra was smaller compared to Natsuhi’s enormous purple beast chakra. As a result, Natsuhi’s enormous purple beast chakra overpowered Akahoshi’s small purple beast chakra, which caused Akahoshi to be knocked out on the ground. He then said to himself, “Her power is great.” After realising that he was no match for Natsuhi, he stood up and sent a signal to his men to call the leaf ninja. As the men left, Natsuhi wondered what he was up to, but he laughed a bit and said to her, “You’ll just have to stay to find that out, my lady.”
Meanwhile, before Akahoshi’s men arrived outside the training building, Neji already sensed a massive flow of chakra with his Byakugan, and when he informed Naruto, they assumed it was the star thief. Afterwards, Akahoshi’s men arrive and give them a story that the shinobi who stole the star has just reappeared and that Lord Akahoshi is trying to delay him. This was their way of covering their tracks in terms of hiding Akahoshi’s plans. As soon as Naruto and Neji heard about the star thief, they headed off to the Valley of Death.
Tenten and Lee infiltrate Akahoshi’s residence and rescue Sumaru. Since Akahoshi is not at his residence, that’s when Tenten and Lee manage to infiltrate his place and save Sumaru.
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Akahoshi reveals his selfish plans.
While Natsuhi gains the upper hand, Naruto and Neji intervene for Akahoshi, and Naruto manages to get close enough to punch Natsuhi. Before Naruto and Neji arrive, there is an external conflict where Akahoshi and Natsuhi battle it out with purple beast chakra, where Natsuhi’s chakra is enormous compared to Akahoshi's. A dialogue takes place where Akahoshi reveals his plans:
Natsuhi: Why did you force Sumaru and the others to resume the star training? The third Hoshikage must have warned you how dangerous it is. Why would you do it?!
Akahoshi (angry): You are the answer to that!
Natsuhi: What?
Akahoshi: Look at your chakra; it’s incredible. Imagine an army of a hundred or even ten ninjas with powers like yours. Five great hidden villages combined would be no match for us! It’s not too late, Natsuhi; together, you and I could make the hidden Star village invincible.
Afterwards, Natsuhi started having brief memories of young people who suffered from star training and felt sympathetic towards their pain.
Natsuhi (cries a bit): Enough, enough, all those young lives thrown away. This must never be repeated. If you think I will let you start that again,
Afterwards, her purple beast chakra changes into an eagle-like figure as she flies and pursues Akahoshi while he, in turn, runs away. He then trips over a tree and says to her:
Akahoshi (panicking): Wait, Natsuhi, remember, I still have Sumaru!
Natsuhi: Huh!
Akahoshi laughs evilly a bit: You’re helpless, aren’t you? As long as I have your precious little Sumaru, you can’t do a thing!
The dialogue showcased the characterisation of Akahoshi, who is presented as selfish. After obtaining sovereignty, he wants to create an army that is more powerful than the five great hidden villages. He is willing to sacrifice the lives of the villagers to further his selfish ambitions. Moreover, the dialogue also supported my possible explanation from the previous analysis, where I said that the third Hoshikage “... noticed the deadly side effects of the star, and he didn’t want to risk the lives of the villages.” At this point, I wouldn’t be surprised if Akahoshi killed the third Hoshikage to further his selfish agenda since he is willing to risk the lives of villagers to continue the star training.
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Naruto defeats Natsuhi, whom he still thought to be an enemy.
When Naruto and Neji arrive, accompanied by Akahoshi’s men, Naruto lets Neji know that he will neutralise the enemy’s chakra. Since they were already pressed for time, Neji let Naruto handle the situation. First, Naruto activated his Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, where he distracted her for a bit so that she could focus on defeating the clones with her purple chakra. Afterwards, Natsuhi got distracted while looking at the sky for the real Naruto. While she was distracted, the real Naruto appeared while he knelt on the ground. Lastly, he punched her in the jaw, which is a technique like the one he used to punch Neji during the chunin exams. Naruto’s plan to use the shadow clones to distract her so that he could land a punch is impressive. It shows his growth as a ninja; hence, he is a dynamic character. It’s a pity that he used that attack on the wrong person.
After he does, Akahoshi launches an attack on the two of them, dropping them into the Valley of Death. When Naruto punched Natsuhi, her mask fell off, and he learned that the enemy he was fighting wasn’t him but her. While Naruto was trying to figure out what was going on, Akahoshi launched an attack, Ninja Art: Kujaku Beast, at the two of them, dropping them into the Valley of Death. He wanted to finish Natsuhi once and for all since she refused to help him fulfil his selfish ambitions. Intense music with a mix of drums and electric guitar was playing throughout to signify the intensity of the situation. What will happen next? This will be revealed in the next episode. Moreover, my possible explanation about Akahoshi killing the third hostage still needs to be assessed in the next episode to see if I’m right or wrong.
The lesson from this episode is that the pursuit of power sometimes comes with deadly consequences. In this episode, Akahoshi is willing to fulfil his selfish ambitions of having star training at his village at the expense of the villagers’ lives.
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and then Add to home screen.