Surprise Wednesday drop! Was gonna be Friday, but I decided to actually split this first part up. Just like the longer chunin exam arc, this serves as a setup/prologue for the action to come. So next video the non stop fighting begins. I thought I’d make the title for the final arc, reminiscent of my first Naruto vid. Hope you enjoy this shorter one :) Peak is on it’s way, and I ain’t talking bout no paper or scissors…

So basically the Leaf village survives off doing contracted work and competing with other villages for these jobs. After the attack on the Leaf village and death of the hokage, and loss of strength, Tsunade deemed it necessary to immediately begin creating a perception of strength around the Leaf by taking lots of contracts. This left a skeleton crew to protect the village.

Sasuke getting humbled after seeing the backside of the water tower gets me Everytime

To clarify a point that was a bit rushed (why Shikamaru was promoted as a chunnin), Yes he forfeited against Temari, but his strategy was clever. And the most important, he forfeited because he knew that he had no chance against her, he gave everything and it wasn't enough to hurt her. Remember he only achieved to immobilize her. Chunnins are mid-tier ninjas, and they can be designated as leaders for some missions, when they are given a squad of genins (low tier ninjas). As a leader, you are responsible of your teammates, and you have to take the best decisions to keep them alive and accomplish the mission. Give up a fight, run away and stay alive will always be better than fight in bad conditions and die in a useless way. That's why Shikamaru was promoted as a chunnin, he's the smartest guy on earth, have insane strategy-making skills and as such, would make a great leader.

I heard someone say Kiba is the Yamcha of the Narutoverse, but now I can't unsee it. Wolf Fang Fist or Fang Over Fang is the same thing!

Shikamaru is such a goat. Truly a character that only gets better with every arc

So here's the thing about Shikamaru: Everyone else went all out. As hard as they can, and nearly died trying to win their matches. Shikamaru almost died in his first match, but pulled it back after being overwhelmed. He kept his calm in the face of death, but stepped around it instead of trying to power through, like Naruto, Lee, Sasuke, etc all did. In his second match, he nearly won but wisely gave up when he determined he couldn't. But he still showed formidable tactics. If he had a partner, or a team working under him, he showed that he had the goods to swing what looks like a loss into a win. And sometimes, yeah, admitting you can't win a bare-knuckle brawl is the right answer. They're ninja! They're supposed to be tricky. So he's promoted because he's the only one that showed wisdom and restraint.* *Shino not being promoted is kind of a scam, though. He fought his first match the right way and didn't get a second match because his opponent forfeited.

The Chidori is like getting stabbed by an electric sword, the Rasengan is like having a bomb go off in your body.

Man, you've been feeding us like grandma on Christmas since your return!

It’s the beginning of the end of the first series ❤️ can’t wait to relive these epic moments through your lens!

Guldo doesn`t gets shoutouts, Guldo gets dog treats thrown at him

I see a SoloRaiju upload and just think "Hell yeah"

Got him in her clutches... Like clutch... Clutched hands... She has clutched hands......... This is indeed what ive been missing out on.

Your commentary and understanding of subtle details is just wonderful to watch. You're the first anime reaction channel whose videos I truly enjoy. It's like watching with a similarly passionate friend than a dmb cousin you force to watch something with you.

Kishimoto (Naruto’s writer) actually cried while writing/drawing Sakura and Sasuke moment and took a lil break cuz it was just heartbreaking for him

Honestly shino should have also been made chunin. Him and shikamaru are the only ones who showed exelent strategy ability along with shikamaru showing he wouldnt get his team killed by over extending them.

Tuh bro couldn’t even wait until Friday he became a fan😂😂

wow i am so early. looking forward to this reaction. i am loving your naruto reactions so much. one of the best insightful reactors (and i genuinely enjoy watching binging reaction videos now because of you). yes, the goal was never to win but to show if you have potential to be a chuunin. a smart ninja knows when to fall back and recoup, when to give up. dragging out a fight isn't always the smartest thing to do lol. i died at "booty" being written on kakashi's booty. 💀 bruh i should've expected that ginyu force edit and yet i giggled hard. 😂 great reaction, looking forward to the next!

Something someone pointed out to me is that the reason why Naruto's water tower was blown open like that was because during Rasengan training one of the steps was violently rotating the water in the balloon until it bursts, so the water inside the tower did the same.

The rate at which you're uploading these vids since your return is crazy. I'm sure you don't need to hear this, but please take care of yourself and don't get burnt out. These reactions are great 😃

I have that feeling when we are in era of internet full of staff and I'm still waiting for a new episode checking daily like 20 years ago on TV... so, waiting for the rest episodes to watch. Good job, mate :)

I love these final episodes, side characters finally getting their spots to shine.

This is my favorite arc of the whole original series. Zabuza and Haku were a STRONG start (and a close second), but this whole arc is ... just... good. Also poor Shino.

The scene with Sakura telling Sasuke she was in love with him didn't have the best written dialogue, but it wasn't supposed to be seen as a confession at all in my opinion. What it was trying to convey was actually quite compelling. Sakura isn't that immature to confess at a time like this for her own sake, she has grown a lot. She was grasping at straws here to desperately try to get Sasuke to stay, for HIS sake. She was being selfless here and pouring her heart out saying she would make him happy because she knew if he left that HE would never be happy. She really has nothing to offer but herself in this situation, and if you notice the smile Sasuke has when he says "you're annoying" his facial expression is not angry at all. Unlike last time when he scowled at her when he called her annoying, this time he is smiling. It was not a mocking smile even if it looked that way at first glance. He's smiling because he appreciates Sakura's words, but he will still choose the path of revenge. The fact that he tells her "thank you" is what makes it pretty clear he doesn't _actually_ find her annoying anymore. That as well as the gentle way he knocked her out and carried her to a bench. It might seem harsh, but he made sure to not actually hurt her and at least didn't leave her on the ground. He even took the time to explain why he was leaving to her, he could have just knocked her out as soon as he saw her. How many people do you think Sasuke would be gentle like that for? Not many... if anyone else. I just wanted to point out these details that make the scene a lot better cause I actually like this scene tbh even though part 1 Sakura is very hit or miss (lots of miss lol). Still love her though.

Undisputed best commentary ever! You make me understand small parts of the story that I never even thought about questioning, like why didn't Shikamaru bring the girls and such, that adds SO MUCH value to the content you have no idea!

I used to not really like reaction channels, but this series you've done on Naruto has really changed my mind. It's so cool being able to go back and appreciate things about the show that I've forgotten or never noticed, your perspective on it adds a lot. The little speech Shikamaru gives at 28:19 totally caught me off guard since it's been so long.

you get the wrong idea, Sasuke doesnt "Hate" Naruto, he hates that he feels so weak compared to Naruto, when on their first mission Naruto was frozen in fear, then at the Chunin Exams, it was like the roles were totally reversed during the struggle with Orochimaru. then on top of that Sasuke couldnt even touch his brother when trying to kill him, making him feel like he was no different from before becoming a Genin.

I’ve gotta say, I watch A LOT of Naruto reactions and yours are hands down my favorite to follow!

Your editing style is truly entertaining. See you in the next one.

Boys became men this arc! That Sakura begging Naruto scene was so painful. The fake smile and heavy focus on it really drives that depression into his face

BRO THE SOUND 4 - GINYU FORCE COMPARISON WAS UNREAL LMAOOO 12:30

LETS GOOOO!!!!! I DIDNT KNOW I WAS THIS ADDICTED TO THESE

The editing is wonderful, man. The clutched hands part had me rolling. I love the reactions and can't wait for more. Keep up the great work!

I mean if I remember right it's partially because he gave up that Shikamaru got his promotion, he didn't give up right at the start he fought it out, but he also clearly knew when he no longer had a shot and called a retreat so to speak

23:00 the reason tsunade is sleeping is because she was up all night studying how to save rock Lee, so it wasn’t for nothing lol

30:27 That was so out of nowhere, I was dying of laughter 😂😂😂😂😂

28:44 it really is 😭🔥 love the emotion man, i can feel the love for the show already growing on ya, cant wait to see you get more into it 🙌🏼

Thanks For that surprise. Love how you Got right Back in the Game and you seem to have so much fun creating those Videos for us again 🙌🏻

This is what we’ve all been waiting for since the beginning of these reactions, glad to see you enjoying the show

I have been WAITING for the reveal on the water tanks for the hospital rooftop fight. You did not disappoint.

I am very excited for the next few fights. The sound 4 are honestly pretty cool.

Love that outro music haha. Classic vibes. Can't wait to find out next time.

Bro best surprise I've had in months!

Shikamaru became my favorite character after the temari fight and his guts to sacrifice himself. this arc cemented him as my favorite for the rest of the series. Got some of the best character development in the series.

Your reactions are worth waiting for

Bruh you are like rock Lee you just bring joy to my life when ever I see you on my screen😂😂

I love your Naruto reactions bro, keep em coming 🙌🏻

I forgot how trippy the ending was to this set of episodes. Shikamaru's time to shine! I'm so hyped to see you watch his first arc and get to know our boys. The growth starts here for them all in many ways, and their conclusion by the end of Shippuden is wild and wonderful to watch. I do miss our female cast here, but this is one of my favorite og arcs. Even watching you react made me hyped. Thanks for uploading these! Glad you're back.

Yes yes yes I love the more consistent uploads, I’ve said it before and I said it again, watching you react to Naruto reminds me of how it was when I first watched the show

The Sasuke retrieval arc is a real coming of age story where our favourite boys are forced to become men.

The editing on this one was top tier, holy shit 😂😭

Sakura pleads so badly to Sasuke here cuz thats what worked the last time Sasuke 'wasnt himself' ie. in the forest of death. She's just a lot more desperate here, trying to say anything and everything to either make sasuke stay or not let him suffer through 'solitude' again.

6:30 bro had me nearly spit my food out with that booty edit😂😂

OK, so there is more then 1 reason for Shikamaru to not bring the girls. First, and probably the most important, is hard to control a team greater then 4 members (excluding you), and all the teaching they had for strategy and tactics it's made in plutons of 4 members. Yes, everything does take a change and nothing works as planned so in the end they fight 1v1s in shounen-style, but the main idea here of Shikamaru before starting the mission would be to use a small team, and snatch Sasuke ninja-way, stealthy, and then retreat to village ASAP. So teoretically, Kiba would track them at a distance, Shikamaru would make a plan for Naruto and his shadow clones to take Sasuke, Chooji would create space and distractions if necessary with his meatball jutsu, Neji would constantly scan for ambushes and if they are spotted with his Byakugan, and lastly, Neji would also have the role of deciding and acting based on his own judgement, being the farthest from Shikamaru, Naruto and Choji can't do that so they can't stay in the back, and Neji is definitely the 2nd smartest after Shikamaru. 2nd, Shikamaru is kinda sexist, often he downplays the strength of women, and in this case, he also thinks it will be too dangerous of a mission to bring any girls, so he does care about women in some way, he thinks the men have the responsibility to protect them at all costs. And 3rd, yup, those 2 kinda have too strong of a feeling for Sasuke. But I do think he initially though of leaving Naruto behind and bringing Ino into the mission, but then the Hokage direct order was to basically include Naruto so he had to adapt.

Great video. I'm looking forward to seeing the rest of this arc and your reaction to it.

That DBZ at the end 🫡 I demand you use that as the outro from here on out

This watch through is so good. and seing your first time reactions is gold. i grew up with this and its super nostalgic. this is just pure gold, thank you for this content man!

Another banger vid boss, can't wait for the next one. It's gonna be 🔥

I haven't clicked on a video so fast in my life! 😂

I love when I open yt and I see a video from you I get all excited!

as a comic only reader I realise sakura got much more dirty here. her talk to sasuke wasn't nearly as cringe as here

LFG! My favorite OG Naruto arc!

10:00 its actually a Naruto meme to call kakashi "Mr. World Wide" cause everyone knows him lool

this arc was pure peak

The scene where Sakura asks Naruto to bring Sasuke back will come up about 1000 more times throughout the show

I absolutely love your editing and your reactions in general are a lot of fun.

Thank you for sharing it so early! Watching your reactions always makes me feel better. I can't wait to see your reactions to the final episodes of the show because I remember how they made me feel when I watched them back in 2006 (?). Naruto is really one of a kind anime that's just unforgettable..

I don’t think Naruto really understands how strong the rasengon really is. Remember that right after he learned it, he hit Kabuto in the stomach with it, and as far as Naruto could tell it hurt but didn’t kill him. Meanwhile the chidori is specifically a killing jutsu, designed to penetrate all defenses and still reach his target. The only reason Sasuke didn’t kill Gaara is because of how strong Gaara’s defenses are.

If Sakura had been caught between a chidori and a rasengan, people would bring flowers to her grave. Like that was near suicidal jumping in there. She has seen the destructive power of at least one of those jutsu. that was easily one of her dumbest moments. what I like about the beginning of the arc is, that Kakashi got Sasuke to think. Maybe not to fully convince him, but to get him to think. Had Kakashi not been on another mission after that or had he spotted the sound four (Make no mistake, Kakashi would have killed them even in a four on one) Sasuke would have absolutely stayed and probably become a lot more docile.

Such an exciting notification to wake up to, glad you’re enjoying the series! 🤘🏼

so glad i wasn't taking a drink on that breaking bad edit. My monitor would not have survived 🤣

7:26 one of my fave scenes on this show

“and his name is John Cena!!!” aw that was so good lol

Saved this for my last hour at work lets goooo!

OG naruto is so good to watch. So many crazy fight too well made❤ idk how many time I watched naruto

Always excited to see you, boss. I've got whiplash from this regular upload pace.

The best parts have not even come yet, Naruto is truly one of the best shonen manga/anime

3:06 Your use of the fish-eye-effect nearly matches that of sensei Kishimoto!

Loving the series ❤ keep em coming

12:04 Didn't the Ninja Turtles used to do this move in their intro? As soon as I saw it my brain heard "HEROES IN A HALF SHELL: TURTLE POWER"

also it's funny that you made that Ginyu Force reference, because you see... they have a captain too, he just wasnt sent. :P so one of them should be Guldo, wouldnt be right to leave him without a shoutout.

10:16 Lol, I thought "I'll still have you, dad."

Bro this is great content. You should do more videos with shorter times

The Sound Four are only 14 years old like Neji & Lee, but they're Orochimaru advanced guard ^^ And a better translation would be The Sound Quartet, it's a musical reference since they're Sound Ninjas and all

I'm kinda drunk but you're a really good reactor (and I've seen a LOT of them), hilarious

To be fair, (can't remember his name) the guy who wrote Naruto Is a huge Dragon Ball fan. He pulled a lot of inspiration from it. That's why there's so many parallels.

@ 32:00 if you also wanna succeed, give Raiju a thumbs up ! 👍

It's funny they called it a back water village but it's the largest ninja village out of all of them

So the flashback she was remembering was naruto using the transformation jutsu as sasuke and naruto talking to sakura as sasuke

A great start to an amazing morning ❤

nothing better than a surprise raiju vid xD

Love this arc! Can't wait for the next videos Edit: I couldn't wait and joined your patreon 🫣

10:00 Mr.Worldwide why did that work so well with the Ginyu force

You returned with a BANG bro!!

I can't wait for the finale it's gonna be amazing!

This mission is why the boys are the boys

Love the content bro, this next episode is gonna go crazy peak Naruto 🙏🏾

Shikamaru took into consideration everything and decided that he wouldn't be able to win the fight! A Chunin is a squad leader and has to made tough calls, but also not stupid ones. So he deserves it!

Commenting specifically to feed the Wednesday algorithm

I like how when the beat drops, @SoloRaiju turns into Jeff Hardy lmaoo