Source: Wikipedia
“The Targeted Shukaku”
“A group of rogue ninjas from the Takumi Village—called Shitenshonin (Four Celestials in the English dub)—invade the Sand Village and kidnap Matsuri, a Ninja Academy student under Gaara. They seek Gaara’s powers to revive their village’s ultimate weapon. Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari pursue them with no other help from the Sand Village. Meanwhile, Shikamaru assembles the Konoha 11 (minus Tenten) and splits them up into two-man teams: Shikamaru and Ino, Naruto and Lee, and Kiba and Choji. Each 2-man cell will assist one of the Sand Shinobi. Neji and Hinata will avoid combat and scout ahead, while Sakura and Shino act as medical support and command and control (using Shino’s bugs to pass along information).”
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Analysis
To conclude the anime series, the following five episodes are focused on the Three Sand Siblings: Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari. Moreover, it also showed the Konoha 11 (minus Tenten), who are sent on a mission to assist them. It is reminiscent of the Sasuke incident when Shikamaru’s squad didn’t get him back. Therefore, Shikamaru must make sure it’s successful and doesn’t make the same mistake as the Sasuke incident. Lastly, Kakashi is also shown in the next few episodes after a long time of not appearing in other episodes. Other details will be mentioned in the analysis.
The episode starts by showing an exposition of background information and events necessary for understanding the storyline. In the beginning, Kakashi went to the village of artisans that was founded by the late Seimei, a man who founded Takimi Village. He was sent on a mission to investigate the area, so during the night, he was hiding behind a bamboo forest. After some time, he summoned his ninja hounds to inform them about a mission. Therefore, a Japanese flute plays in the background to add to the dramatic effect as a dialogue takes place among them:
Pakku: That’s the village of artisans unless I’m mistaken.
Kakashi: Yeah, the village has a reputation for creating some of the finest ninja tools around. They are used throughout the five great nations because of their high quality, but rumours have been swirling around lately.
Pakku: What kind of rumours?
Kakashi: Something about them developing an ultimate weapon to attack the five great nations.
Pakku: Uh-hah, so then our mission is to infiltrate the village and conduct a search to find out whether this ultimate weapon exists, right?
Kakashi: You got it.
Pakku: Just leave it to us.
Thereafter, the ninja hounds leave to infiltrate and search the village, while Kakashi remains. After some time, Kakashi read the make-out series until he hid the book when Pakku arrived from the underground.
Pakku: Hey, listen, something’s weird.
Kakashi (nervous): What? What do you mean?
Pakku (serious): I mean, the entire village is deserted, but I found something even stranger than that.
Kakashi (worried): What?
Pakku leads him to a building that holds the late Seimei’s stone coffin. When they got there, the coffin was empty. Therefore, it means that something strange has happened, and since there was a full moon, it symbolises that something bad was about to happen. After seeing that the coffin was empty, Kakashi said:
Kakashi: The coffin of Seimei, the founder of the village of artisans, but where’s his body?
Pakku: You see, this is seriously weird.
Kakashi: So, they took everything and abandoned their village, but where did they go?
The dialogue revealed that Seimei was the founder of Takumi Village, known for creating weapons for other villagers. From my point of view, the term “ultimate weapon” refers to when one possesses massive amounts of chakra. For instance, Gaara is considered to have the ultimate weapon because he has the one-tailed shukaku sealed inside of him. So, he acts as a weapon to protect the sand village from any harm, and it’s a way to maintain their sovereignty. Moreover, since the Four Celestials seek Gaara’s powers to revive their village’s ultimate weapon, Seimei, it is safe to assume that Seimei was once the ultimate weapon that maintained the village’s sovereignty. Therefore, as stated by Kakashi, it is clear that the Four Celestials plan to revive Seimei to attack the five great nations. If they manage to do so, it could mean a great ninja war. Thus, it creates an intense atmosphere where the Sand Village and the Leaf Village must find a way to stop them before it’s too late. The exposition helped the viewer understand the plot better, which makes the episode intriguing to watch.
Meanwhile, at the Leaf Village, it was during the day that Sakura, Shikamaru, and Naruto conversed among themselves about what was happening at the Sand Village. Sakura told them that Lady Tsunade received a status report from Temari in the hidden sand village. The Hidden Sand Village has recently started a ninja training program that adopts the same curriculum as the Leaf. What made it different was that instead of Jonin becoming instructors, Temari, Gaara, and Kankuro are going to be the instructors for the youth who want to take part in the program. At that moment, it presents how the Sand Village has skills that are superior compared to those in the Leaf Village, which is why they were chosen to be instructors.
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Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara begin their ninja training program.
At the Sand Village, Temari, Kankuro, and Gaara were conversing with the youth about choosing a weapon that was displayed on the table. Before the youth could choose a weapon, Temari said, “Before you begin combat training, you must first choose a weapon that suits you both physically and mentally.” To add on, Kankuro said, “For your combat training, you’ll be working in a group with one of us; you may choose which instructor you want to work with.”
When the youth heard that they could choose any instructor they wanted to work with, some of them chose Temari, while others chose Kankuro. The reason why most of the youth didn’t want to work with Gaara is that they heard rumours about Gaara being dangerous because of the one-tailed beast inside of them. So, they were afraid that he would hurt them. However, there was one girl named Matsuri who chose Gaara to be her sensei. She was the only one who chose Gaara, which shows that she wasn’t afraid of Gaara. To support this, Gaara even asked her if she was sure she wanted him to be her instructor. In response, she said, “Please teach me.” Therefore, it was the start of a student-teacher relationship, which brought an element of hope to Gaara. His siblings were even happy for him to have found a student who wanted him to be their instructor. All hope is not lost for Gaara since he can form new relationships with people who are not his siblings or Naruto.
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Gaara helps Matsuri choose a weapon that is displayed on the table.
While the youth were choosing their weapons under the supervision of Temari and Kankuru, Matsuri was struggling to choose a weapon. There were three weapons displayed on the table: a sword, an iron club, and a rope javelin. First, she couldn’t choose a sword because the sword is a reminder of a painful memory from the past that I will reveal later. Second, the iron club was too heavy for her to carry, so she was left with a rope javelin. After some time, Gaara helped her pick up the rope javelin. As asserted by the Narutopedia Website, it consists of a long rope, typically several metres long, with a handle attached to one end and a metal dart attached to the other, acting as a weight that allows the user to throw the dart out at a long-range target to bind them, then either reel them in or perform an attack on them (Narutopedia Website). Therefore, that is why Gaara demonstrated to her how to use the weapon. Not only was it light, but it was also effective.
While Gaara demonstrated how to use the weapon, he said to Matsuri, “The sharp blade at the end of the rope is not meant for offence. Its purpose is to keep enemies at a distance. I shall allow you to use the rope to incapacitate your enemy.” Thereafter, in the training area, he tossed the rope at a log and went on to say, “You must practice until the rope becomes an extension of your body.” Afterwards, she started training, which was the beginning of a fruitful student-teacher relationship.
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The Four Celestials infiltrate the Sand Village.
A group of rogue ninjas from Takumi Village, called Shitenshonin (Four Celestials in the English dub), invade the Sand Village and kidnap Matsuri, a Ninja Academy student under Gaara. They seek Gaara’s powers to revive their village’s ultimate weapon. While Gaara was helping his students to train, something bad was about to happen. When the Sand Bodyguard Ninjas were guarding the entrance of the sand village, the enemy killed the guards using wind, then another enemy used a ninja tool that looked like a dragon to hit the guard, which left him unconscious. After some time, one guard who was still alive ran away, but he got blocked by the Four Celestials. To signify their presence, ominous music plays in the background to show that they are the enemy. In response to their presence, the guard tossed his kunai at them, but one of the Four Celestials, named Ryugan, used his ninja tool that looked like a dragon to block his attacks. Eventually, they let him live because they wanted to use him as a tool to draw Gaara out. Thereafter, the guard was limping as he entered the Sand Village, where Kankura and Temari saw him. When they saw him, they rushed to check if he was okay, and in response, he hinted that Gaara was in danger.
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Naruto plays a role in how Gaara went from being filled with bitterness to having hope.
While the enemy infiltrated the village, Matsuri was still struggling to get the rope javelin to wrap around the log. After some time, she froze as if she had a memory of a sword. It happened in the woods during the night. Her parents were killed by these types of weapons. Therefore, it explains why she didn’t choose the sword. Choosing the sword would have only brought her pain, which she is still trying to deal with. Eventually, a dialogue takes place when Gaara asks her what’s wrong:
Gaara: What’s wrong?
Matsuri: When I was young, I stood by helplessly as my parents were attacked by so many weapons. It’s just so hard now.
Gaara: Tell me your reason for wielding a weapon.
Matsuri: Huh?
Gaara: I remember.
Thereafter, we are shown a glimpse of his memories when he was a monster. When he partly transformed into Shukaku in the forest, he attacked Sasuke and Sakura. Sasuke was on the ground, trying to get up, while he trapped Sakura with his sand claw. Naruto was also there, battling with him, and eventually, he asked Naruto a question:
Gaara (angry): Who are these two? Who are they to you?
Naruto (shouts): Those guys are my friends; that’s what they are! And if you even think about hurting them any more than you already have, I promise I will take you down!
Back to the present, Gaara then said to Matsuri:
Gaara: I’ll never forget his face when he said those words.
Gaara then walks away, not realising that the four celestials were spying from a distance and making plans to take him.
The dialogue reinforces that Naruto is the reason why Gaara has let go of the bitterness and the need to kill people. If Gaara hadn’t met Naruto, he would have remained a monster and wouldn’t have met his first student, Matsuri. Naruto helped him realise the importance of having friends and the need to protect the people you care about. The fact that he can still remember his encounter with Naruto shows that he is grateful for Naruto’s kindness towards him. Therefore, that is why they have a good friendship, because both are hosts of tailed beasts. Naruto played a role in changing Gaara into a dynamic character who continues to grow in learning the value of comradeship.
If you want to revisit the encounter between Naruto and Gaara, you can read from Season 2: Episode 75 to Season 2: Episode 80.
Meanwhile, when Gaara walked away, he came across his siblings, who were taking care of the Sand Bodyguard Ninja, who was injured. They told him about the Four Celestials, who infiltrated the village and had strange weapons. Moreover, the guard said, “They said to tell Gaara, tell him that we know he’s the ultimate weapon, and we will issue him a challenge. If you don’t accept the challenge, they will take someone close to you; they will keep taking one person a day until everyone you care about is gone.” Eventually, they kidnapped his student, Matsuri, who was busy training with her rope javelin at the training area. So, after the siblings rushed outside, they found the rope javelin on the ground and realised she was indeed kidnapped. Therefore, it compelled them to inform the Jonin Council (Suna Council) about what happened.
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The Three Sand Siblings report the issue about the Four Celestials to the Jonin Council.
It is important to note that the Jonin Council (Suna Council) exists to help the Kazekage govern the village and to make sure all decisions are made with the best interest of the village and its inhabitants in mind (Narutopedia Website).
At the council, they discussed the issue of the Four Celestials, who headed northeast to a small strip of land between the land of rivers and the land of fire. It’s near the Leaf Village, so they asked the Leaf Village to assist them. Thereafter, the Three Sand Siblings were instructed by Baki (one of the members of the council) to leave immediately and track the criminals.
Gaara, Kankuro, and Temari pursue them with no other help from the Sand Village. Before they leave, Temari and Kankuro say that if they go there, it will be like walking into their trap since the enemy wants Gaara. So, they requested another unit to assist them. However, Baki said that if they sent another unit, the village would be vulnerable. Therefore, Kankuro suggested that Baki should come with them, and at that moment, he had a brief flashback with the other council member, Jōseki.
In that brief flashback, they were aware of the Four Celestials’ infiltration before the three siblings informed them. They were standing outside when Jōseki said that the enemy was after the one-tailed beast, shukaku. He goes on to say to Baki that although Gaara is powerful, the ultimate weapon (shukaku) is a double-edged sword. So Jōseki said that if the enemy takes the shukaku, then they will be doing them a favour as a village. What makes it even more saddening is that when Baki suggests he should go with the siblings to pursue the enemy, Jōseki refuses. He said that he had already assigned Baki to another mission that required his skills. Therefore, back to the present, the siblings were waiting for an answer as to whether he was coming with them. In response, Baki said he couldn’t go with them because he had another mission that required his attention. As a result, the three sand siblings left, while in another area, the Four Celestials had already left.
It is baffling that Jōseki suggested that they throw Gaara in a trap just because they were afraid of the ultimate weapon, Shukaku. Gaara didn’t ask the beast to be sealed inside of him; it was someone close to him who did that, which is revealed in the sequel, Naruto Shippuden. Now they want to toss him aside because the one-tailed beast is dangerous, which is appalling. After all, they are the ones who want to benefit from its power. As the storyline progresses, we shall see if Gaara will remain alive or not.
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Shikamaru is informed about the Gaara situation.
At the Leaf Village, Shizune was standing outside when she received a messenger bird from the Sand Village that informed them about Gaara’s situation. So, at the Hokage Headquarters office, Shikamaru is informed about the threatening situation and that three siblings were assigned to pursue the enemy. Based on that little information, Shikamaru was supposed to set up an operation to track down the enemies who wanted Gaara. Moreover, they need to maintain their relationship with the sand village, even with that little information, especially since they helped the leaf village with the Sasuke incident. This is shown in Season 3: Episode 125.
To make matters worse, none of the Jonin and Chunin were available because they were investigating the artisan village, especially Kakashi. So, Shikamaru had to select a list of genin from the list Shizune gave him, and he had to be on the road as soon as possible. When Sakura wasn’t on the list, Tsunade explained by saying that she must focus on her medical ninjutsu training. So Shikamaru said he could only accept the mission if Sakura was part of it. Eventually, Tsunade agreed to his request.
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Konoha 11 begins their pursuit to find the Four Celestials.
Meanwhile, Shikamaru assembles the Konoha 11 (minus Tenten) and splits them up into two-man teams: The Genin met outside the gate of the leaf village except for Sakura, Shino, Neji, and Hinata, who had already gone ahead to find the enemy’s location. It is like the Sasuke incident, but only this time, Shikamaru has all of them (minus Tenten) to assist. Shikamaru then said to his squad, “There are similarities to the Sasuke incident; however, I believe this pursuit and ambush will require different tactics. The trail is cold, so Byakugan and Akamaru’s noise won’t be as much help this time.” So, they break up into a squad of two, and they will work together as a single unit.
Shikamaru and Ino, Naruto and Lee, and Kiba and Choji. Each 2-man cell will assist one of the Sand Shinobi. Neji and Hinata will avoid combat and scout ahead, while Sakura and Shino act as medical support and command and control (using Shino’s bugs to pass along information). Victorious music plays in the background with a hint of an uproar, drums, electric guitar, high-pitched Japanese flute, and high-pitched Japanese guitar. This mixture of sound and instruments symbolises the teamwork that is being put in by Konoha 11. As Shikamaru’s squad headed into the woods, Shikamaru said that Neji, Shino, Sakura, and Hinata had already gone ahead and gone on a different route. In other words, they won’t be participating in the battle because they will conserve their strength. Therefore, they are focusing their energy on finding the enemy. Moreover, Shikamaru went on to say that while they search for the enemy, Sakura will heal the wounded so that they can keep on fighting. So, Shikamaru had to think long and hard about their strategy because he didn’t want anyone to lose their lives. Shikamaru proves to be a dynamic character who continues to learn as a strategist and thinks about the lives of his comrades.
Towards the end of the episode, the music intensifies, with everyone playing a part in their mission. What will happen next? This will be revealed in the next episode.
The lesson from this episode is that one can learn a valuable lesson from experience, just like Gaara learned the importance of comrades when he had his encounter with Naruto during a fight.
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and then Add to home screen.