Target: Locked On

Synopsis
Tsunade informs Sakura that Kakashi has assumed leadership of Team Asuma temporarily for their mission to apprehend the Akatsuki. Sakura proposes Team 7 as the most suitable backup for Team 10 but is given a condition: they will be deployed only if Naruto masters his Wind Release: Rasenshuriken technique within the next 24 hours. Faced with the ultimatum, Sakura relays Tsunade's message to Naruto and Yamato.

Meanwhile, Shikamaru adjusts his battle plan to incorporate Kakashi's presence, impressing Kakashi with his quick revisions. Utilizing her Mind Body Switch Technique, Ino takes control of a nearby bird's body and locates Hidan and Kakuzu, revealing their approximate distance. The Akatsuki duo senses the intrusion, prompting Ino to cancel the technique. She alerts the team to the Akatsuki members' location, and they decide to initiate their plan for vengeance.

Shikamaru employs his Shadow Imitation Technique to approach them from behind stealthily. Despite Hidan and Kakuzu noticing the shadow and evading it, Shikamaru throws two kunai with explosive tags, catching them in the blast. Although surviving, Hidan and Kakuzu are momentarily immobilized. Shikamaru, adding a clever twist, hurls Asuma's chakra blades at their shadows, freezing them in place. Puzzled, Hidan questions how they got trapped without the shadow touching them. Shikamaru explains his strategy, revealing that he imbued the blades with his chakra, granting them the properties of his shadow techniques.

Employing his Shadow Gathering Technique, Shikamaru uses his shadows to withdraw the chakra blade from Hidan's shadow while connecting it to his own Shadow Imitation. Taking control of Hidan, Shikamaru has him wield the Triple-Bladed Scythe and charge at Kakuzu with the intent to kill. However, Kakuzu, with an underground arm, frees himself from the chakra blade and evades Hidan's attack. Shikamaru, acknowledging his oversight, instructs Chōji, who is observing alongside Ino and Kakashi, to strike Kakuzu from above with his Spiked Human Bullet Tank technique."

Trivia

 * This episode features an animation error: during the scene where Shikamaru ensnares Hidan and Kakuzu in the trap, Kakuzu's crossed-out Takigakure symbol on his forehead protector is missing when the camera shows him looking down.
 * In the English dub, there is a dubbing error. While Shikamaru discusses the plan with Team Asuma, he states that Hidan and Kakuzu are going after 'the jinchūriki within Naruto' instead of 'the tailed beast within Naruto.'
 * Furthermore, after Matatabi's extraction, Nagato mentions there are four more tailed beasts left, as Isobu has not been captured yet. This deviation from the manga is attributed to an anime-only arc that aired shortly after this episode. In the manga, Isobu was sealed immediately before Matatabi. The implication is that the anime-only arc featuring Utakata was not yet planned, as Saiken was not considered one of the tailed beasts that were unaccounted for.

Credits
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