Chibaku Tensei (episode)

Synopsis
After Hinata is taken down by Pain, Naruto becomes enraged, causing the release of the Nine-Tails' chakra to his four-tailed form and attacks Pain. Pain's fleeing and continuous preaching anger Naruto more. He eventually progresses in his transformation to a six-tailed form and bombards Pain in a flurry of enhanced attacks. The First Hokage's Necklace tries to suppress the Nine-Tails' chakra, but the Nine-Tails is able to overcome the sealing process and broke the necklace before continuing its attack. They resume their fight, with even Pain's Shinra Tensei being ineffective against Naruto, who launches a Tailed Beast Ball, although Pain slightly disrupted it, and it creates a vast explosion. Pain retreats in order to perform Chibaku Tensei. The technique rips apart the ground creating a small moon and traps Naruto inside of it. On a mission elsewhere, Yamato senses Naruto's transformation and aborts his mission to track Kabuto, and attempts to return to Konoha. Within his subconscious, a traumatised Naruto begins a mental breakdown and grows angry at his inability to answer Pain's question on how he will achieve peace. Naruto soon enter his eight-tailed form but cannot break out completely. He almost succumbs to the Nine-Tails' will to release the ninth tail, but is saved by the Fourth Hokage, who calls Naruto by name.

Trivia

 * This episode is controversial for its expansion over the scenes found in the manga, as well as its animation style, which is significantly different than the style used throughout the majority of Naruto and Naruto: Shippūden. Atsushi Wakabayashi was in charge of this episode, acting as animation supervisor, episode director, and storyboarder. This particular episode is noted for its use of a more fluid, less exact animation style, as well as minimal use of shading, in order to budget for fast paced animation. This is a trademark of key animator Norio Matsumoto. Although Wakabayashi was not assisted by Matsumoto in this episode, Wakabayashi and Matsumoto worked together on episodes 30, 71 and 133 in original Naruto, all of which are high action episodes, and most expand upon the manga. This was Wakabayashi's fourth episode of Naruto or Naruto: Shippūden and the first one where he worked with someone other than Matsumoto.

Credits
Devastación Planetaria