Source: Wikipedia
“The Supposed Sealed Ability”
“Naruto and the members of Team 8 head into Yakumo’s house to find her with Kurenai, threatening to erase her former sensei from existence. It is revealed that the malicious entity known as the Idou dwelled within Yakumo’s subconscious and was the reason why her abilities were sealed away. Yakumo ultimately overcomes the Idou and realises that Kurenai cares about her. Kurenai then returns to an overjoyed Team 8.”
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Analysis
In this episode, it served as a resolution because all the mysteries of the plot were unravelled. First, it showed how Yakumo’s parents died. Second, it showed the reason why Yakumo’s powers were sealed away. It was due to the monster inside of her, known as Idou. Last, it showed how Yakumo overcame her darkness by defeating the monster inside of her. Other details will be mentioned in the analysis.
The episode served as a continuation of the previous episode when Kiba got caught in the fire cast by Yakumo’s genjutsu. Luckily, Naruto put out the fire by covering his jacket on Kiba’s back, which was on the floor. This encounter just proved how powerful Yakumo’s genjutsu was, which explains why Unkai wanted to capture her to stop her powers.
After Naruto put out the fire on Kiba’s back, Naruto and Squad 8 came across a door that led to where Yakumo and Kurenai were located. On the other side of the door, there were huge flames that were visible to them. So, Shino activated his parasitic insects to get through the door because his insect senses are minimal in the genjutsu compared to the human mind.
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The interaction between Yakumo and Kurenai.
While Shino’s insects were in the process of getting to the other side, Yakumo and Kurenai were still conversing. Yakumo begs Kurenai to tell her the truth about why she sealed her genjutsu and says that if she doesn’t tell her the truth, she will end her life. In response, Kurenai said, “It was my decision and my decision alone to seal your genjutsu away. The third Hokage wasn’t involved.” As a result, Yakumo erases half of the painting of Kurenai’s body, which results in the real Kurenai’s half-body fading away as well. Afterwards, Kurenai said, “Go ahead and release all your resentment, but remember, the only one you should feel hatred toward is me.” Yakumo was still adamant that her mother and father were too strong to let themselves die in some house fire, so she believed that someone murdered them. As the episode progresses, she will find out who murdered them. At that moment, Kurenai still acts like a mother figure, as she is risking her life just for Yakumo to find peace. As the episode progresses, Yakumo will realise that Kurenai has cared about her all this time. Therefore, Kurenai is a round character who seems like a real person who cares about Yakumo because she is precious to her.
Naruto and the members of Team 8 head into Yakumo’s house to find her with Kurenai, threatening to erase her former sensei from existence. Meanwhile, edgy music plays in the background with a mix of an electric guitar, drums, and a hint of violin when Shino’s insects infiltrate her genjutsu through the door. When the insects entered the room where Yakumo and Kurenai were, they covered Yakumo’s hand, which had an item made of steel that was used to paint Kurenai’s painting. While Shino’s insects infiltrated Yakumo’s genjutsu, Naruto, on the other side of the door, activated his Multi-Shadow Clone Jutsu, and the shadow clones knocked out the real Naruto’s head so that Naruto’s senses could be minimal to Yakumo’s genjutsu. So, after knocking out the real Naruto, they tossed him in the flames, and Naruto successfully entered Yakumo’s genjutsu without getting hurt. When he got there, he saw half of Kurenai’s body fade away, which compelled him to tell Yakumo the truth about her genjutsu. Despite Kurenai begging Naruto not to tell her the truth, Naruto still goes on to tell Yakumo that Kurenai sealed her powers to protect her and that she is not the only one who’s been suffering. Knowing her secret and not being able to tell the truth all this time, Kurenai sensei suffered just as much as Yakumo did. As a result, Yakumo remembers how her parents died.
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Yakumo’s memories reveal the death of her parents.
This serves as an exposition of background events necessary to understand how her parents died. After hearing Naruto’s words, Yakumo froze and dropped the metal item she had used to erase Kurenai’s painting. She then touched her face; hence, a dialogue takes place:
Yakumo: The secret? What is it?
Naruto (stunned): Umm, sensei, what the hell is going on with her?
Kurenai: This is bad. Yakumo, just forget about it; it’s nothing; don’t try to remember.
Afterwards, doomy music plays in the background when one of the paintings that were floating in the air drops on the floor, with mud slowly spilling on the floor as Yakumo tries to remember the past. As a result, Kurenai told Naruto that he should stop it, but then two hands appeared behind Naruto and held him hostage. While this happened, the painting that had mud spilling on the floor revealed Yakumo’s memories of her parents. In the memories, Yakumo was in her room, feeling disappointed in herself as she sat on the floor while her parents, Murakumo (Yakumo’s father) and Uroko (Yakumo’s mother), tried to comfort her.
Yakumo (sad): Father, mother, all I want is to live up to the expectations of our family, so why does everyone always get in my way? I only want to master genjutsu. Is that so wrong?
Murakumo (sympathetic): Everyone has a path in life that they are meant to follow; maybe your path is just different from what you thought.
Uroko (sympathetic): He’s right, dear; there’s no need to force yourself to become a shinobi.
Yakumo (sad): No, don’t try to cheer me up. You tried to comfort me with kind words, but I see right through them. Everyone is disappointed in me; how can I live my life with the burden of knowing in my heart that I failed my family?
Afterwards, the monster (known as the Idou) within her came out through her mouth and killed her parents by causing a fire. At that moment, Yakumo could not do anything because the monster within her was the one controlling the situation. Back to the present, Yakumo now remembers that she is the one who killed her parents, not the third Hokage; hence, a dialogue takes place:
Yakumo (distraught): It was me; the thing inside me destroyed my mother and father that day, and my hidden genjutsu killed my parents.
Kurenai (shouts): You’re wrong, Yakumo; that thing wasn’t you; you and that monster are two different beings.
Yakumo (sad): I wish you were right, but the truth is that thing lives inside my heart. Thank you, sensei, for everything you tried. Farewell, sensei.
Afterwards, Yakumo tried to stab herself, but the painting of Yakumi stopped her by holding her hand, which was the monster, Idou. To support this claim, Hinata, who was standing in the hallway with Shino, activated her Byakugan and felt something strange. Even Shino’s insects acted strangely as they returned to Shino. Moreover, Kiba and Sakura, who were with Might Guy and Unkai earlier, arrived, asking if Kurenai and Naruto were okay. In response, Hinata said, “I’m sensing something new forming on the other side, an incredibly powerful chakra.”
At that moment, the Idou was in the process of revealing itself to Yakumo after Yakumo learned the truth about her parents. It’s a tragedy that her parents died due to her genjutsu, and to better understand how dangerous the monster is, Unkai explained to everyone about the monster earlier to Kiba and Sakura before they arrived at the safe house.
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Unkai explained more about Yakumo’s deadly Jutsu.
It is revealed that the malicious entity known as the Idou dwelled within Yakumo’s subconscious and was the reason why her abilities were sealed away. Outside the safe house, the Kurama clan members are tied up to a tree while the first medic ninja and the Fox Masked ANBU member keep watch over them. At the same time, the second medic ninja and Sakura bandaged Unkai’s burnt wounds while Might Guy was standing and watching them. After some time, Kiba arrived and said to Might Guy, “Shino and Hinata are standing watch in the hallway, but Yakumo’s genjutsu created another dimension, and Naruto and Kurenai sensei are inside.” As a result, Unkai decided to tell them everything about Yakumo’s genjutsu.
Unkai said, “No one was worried about Yakumo’s well-being as much as Kurenai has; she tried so hard to convince her, pleading with Yakumo to forget her dream and end her training. Yakumo was completely dispirited; obviously, Lord Murakumo was concerned about his daughter. But then one day, the unexpected happened: their family residence burned to the ground while Yakumo stood there watching the whole thing happen. When I first saw it, a strange figure appeared in the flames—a horrible, monstrous demon smiling back. But when I learned what the beast was, I became frozen with terror. We wanted to find out what caused the tragedy, so we ordered a complete medical examination of Yakumo. They concluded that the creature that appeared at the fire came from Yakumo’s deep subconscious. In other words, it was a manifestation of her Idou.”
After Unkai and the clan realised how dangerous Yakumo’s genjutsu was, he went to see the third Hokage, Hiruzen Sarutobi, for guidance; hence, there was a flashback of Unkai’s memories with the Third Hokage, where a dialogue took place between them:
Unkai: Ultimately, the girl was unable to endure the expectations that the village placed on her, and soon her subconscious cracked under the pressure. To protect itself, it released her pent-up fury. Sir, we do not think the Yakumo Idou monster is finished; it will keep going until the whole Kurama clan is designated, then the entire Hidden Leaf Village.
Hiruzen: I understand the risk, but I refuse to authorise any violence. Yakumo isn’t even aware that this evil power exists inside of her and that this village does not take innocent lives.
Unkai: But, Lord Hokage, once her subconscious completely awakens, there will be nothing we can do to stop it.
Hiruzen: In that case, we will just have to work with Yakumo until she can control the power by herself, and if that’s not possible, then we will have to seal her genjutsu.
Unkai: How can we?
Hiruzen: It’s slightly different, but there has been one precedent. In a similar situation, the spirit of the nine-tailed fox was sealed away inside the body of a newborn.
Unkai: That’s absurd! There isn’t a ninja alive strong enough to seal the immense power that Yakumo possesses.
Hiruzen: Actually, there might be one person I know who fits the bill.
After hearing this, Unkai was stunned as the third Hokage went on to say,
Hiruzen: However, the mission will be brutal. I pray this person can teach the girl to control what is inside of her. If we are forced to seal her powers, we will erase all the good Yakumo could have achieved in her life. This person will have to decide whether Yakumo’s resentment will bear the weight of ending the lineage of the Kurama clan’s powers.
Back to the present, Unkai said, “Then the third Hokage lowered his head and wept.” Everyone knew it was Kurenai who was given such a difficult task. Moreover, Might Guy said he knew about her sealing Yakumo’s powers but not about the danger of the girl’s subconscious. Therefore, when the third Hokage died, so did the secret. At this point, only Kurenai and the Kurama clan knew the whole story. In other words, Kurenai risked everything to keep it a secret, even at the cost of her reputation. Her mission was to kill the monster inside of Yakumo, not Yakumo, because it posed a danger not only to the Kurama clan but to the Leaf Village as well. So Kiba and Sakura leave to save Naruto and the rest, while Might Guy stays behind with Unkai.
Yakumo ultimately overcomes the Idou and realises that Kurenai cares about her. Kurenai then returns to an overjoyed Team 8. Back to the scene with Yakumo’s genjutsu, when Yakumo wanted to stab herself, the painting of Yakumo (who was the monster, Idou) stopped her from stabbing herself. After some time, a dialogue took place between them where the voice of the monster was menacing.
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The dialogue between Yakumo and her inner monster, the Idou,
Idou: Why? Why do you do this to yourself when you are not to blame?
After hearing this, Yakumo was stunned as the monster went on to say,
Idou: The ones who must be crushed are those who imposed such a heavy burden on your psyche, those who tried to get rid of me just as you are reaching your full potential.
Yakumo: Who are you?
Idou: I’ve merely crept into a fracture in one corner of your mind, and there I was nurtured. My name is Idou.
Afterwards, the monster came out of the painting, revealing its identity, and its appearance was unsightly. Kurenai still had half of her body fade away, so she couldn’t intervene. Naruto was still held hostage by the hands that were behind him.
Kurenai reveals the first time she met the monster.
Kurenai: So, she’s finally awake.
Naruto: Kurenai sensei, do you know what that thing is?
Kurenai: Yes, it happened soon after I was made Yakumo’s instructor. I was having doubts about just how potent her genjutsu was, so I explored deep into her psyche. That’s when I saw it. The sight of that terrible figure sent shivers down my spine; I couldn’t move. You see, the third Hokage didn’t order me to eliminate Yakumo; I was to kill the monster within her.
Naruto: That’s what this thing is?
Kurenai: This ghastly spectre is more powerful than it was back then. Even so, I will die before I let that thing get lost in our village.
Naruto said in his mind, She will die. Wait, that’s why she quit Squad 8. This mission is more important than anything.
The mystery of the plot unravelled. First, Yakumo’s parents were killed by the monster within Yakumo known as the Idou. Second, Kurenai’s mission was to kill the monster before it could destroy the leaf village, hence why she left Squad 8. She wanted to focus on her mission first. Therefore, it’s a resolution.
After witnessing the monster, Naruto breaks free and struggles against it, but the monster has the upper hand. Naruto couldn’t use his shadow clone or any kind of ninjutsu because that doesn’t work when someone is in a genjutsu. So, he resorted to using his kunai to stab it, but it was ineffective; hence, it compelled Kurenai to convince Yakumo to defeat it.
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Kurenai convinces Yakumo to destroy the monster, Idou.
Kurenai said to Yakumo that she was the only one who could defeat it; hence, a dialogue took place:
Kurenai: Yakumo, you’re the only one who has any hope of defeating it. Please listen to me; every single one of us has a fanged beast hidden within the depths of our minds. It lies there, waiting in the dark reaches of the person’s soul, and appears in our lowest moments. It doesn’t matter how strong you think you are; when the beast comes, it is impossible to control. You even end up hurting those who are closest to you, but if the monster can be tamed and reigned in with the strength of your will, it can become a magnificent power and can even make your dreams a reality. Now you must fight it and obliterate the monster in the depths of your mind.
Yakumo: I don’t know how.
Kurenai: Yakumo, you are the only one who can finish this.
Afterwards, Yakumo took the item made of steel that is used for painting and stabbed the monster in its forehead. As a result, the monster exploded, which caused the genjutsu to weaken, and Kurenai was back to normal.
Yakumo then passed out in Kurenai’s arms and realised that Kurenai did care about her, as Kurenai said to Yakumo, “You were incredible, Yakumo; you overcame the darkness in your soul.” Moreover, the painting of Kurenai being stabbed with a piercing light from back to front now showed a picture of Kurenai holding Yakumo. This served as a symbol that Yakumo had found peace since the genjutsu was gone. To support the claim that Yakumo found peace, Naruto said in his mind, “In her heart, she knew exactly who was trying to save her the whole time. She just had to realise it.”
Afterwards, the genjutsu was gone. Sakura and Squad 8 entered the room and were overjoyed when Kurenai said she was resuming her role as their leader because she had completed her final mission from the third Hokage. Towards the end of the episode, Sakura stood with Naruto and noticed something was wrong. While she wonders what he is thinking, Naruto starts thinking about his time with Sasuke as Team 7, the nine-tailed fox inside of him, and Orochimaru. This reminds him that he still has his issues to deal with; hence, he vows to tackle his darkness with the demon fox and save Sasuke from his darkness as well.
The lesson from this episode could be derived from Kurenai’s statement to Yakumo when she said, “Every single one of us has a fanged beast hidden within the depths of our mind. It lies there, waiting in the dark reaches of the person’s soul, and appears in our lowest moments. It doesn’t matter how strong you think you are; when the beast comes, it is impossible to control. You even end up hurting those who are closest to you, but if the monster can be tamed and reigned in with the strength of your will, it can become a magnificent power and can even make your dreams a reality.”
One should tackle the issues they are dealing with; otherwise, they might end up hurting the people they care about indirectly. In other words, the episode sort of highlights the importance of taking care of one’s mental health. If they don’t take care of it, it is bound to have some side effects, as was evident when Yakumo couldn’t deal with the pressure from the clan to become a fine shinobi.
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and then Add to home screen.