Ep 150: Deceive, Confuse, and be Deceived! The Grand Bug Battle!

The team tries to track Hinata’s scent but her trail disappears where they smell honey. Shino talks about the bug using clan from Earth Country’s Hidden Stone Village called Kamizuru. Around his grandfather’s time some shinobi from Hidden Stone tried to invade Konoha. The Kamizuru clan was charged with being the vanguard of the attack. The plan was to release a swarm of bees to create confusion in the village during which the main forces would attack. The Aburame clan discovered their plan and intercepted them in the western forest. Battle between bug clans was won by the Aburame and secured their status in Konoha. The Kamizuru clan lost their fame even within Hidden Stone Village and only a few are left. Shino had sent his bugs out for surveillance but they are killed by the bees. Hinata listens in on the Kamizuru clan’s discussion of how Konoha is weak now and this is their chance to restore their name. They are looking for the First’s secret scroll with forbidden techniques for bug users. They have been searching for that for years (didn’t have it against the Aburame clan). Suzumebachi has the keepsakes of her grandfather, the First, for the Bikouchuu to find where he hid the secret scroll before he died. With the scroll they can take on some big jobs so the village will acknowledge them.

One of Shino’s bugs returns but it appears to die immediately so the team has no info in Hinata’s location so they have to go through with the exchange. But Shino says Hinata was the one who pushed for the mission. They plan to try to save Hinata and the Bikouchuu.

At the exchange Shino places the bug box on a rock. Kurobachi goes to confirm the bug, but it’s a Helmet Beetle! Shino places a kunai to his throat. Then another Shino appears behind Suzumebachi and Jibachi and releases his Kikaichuu (destruction bugs). Kiba dashes by and grabs Hinata. Clone Kiba and clone Shino disappear while real Naruto attacks Kurobachi. Kiba and Akamaru realizes it doesn’t smell like Hinata. All the stone-nins and Hinata turn to beeswax. Bees appear and Kiba and Naruto slash at them with their kunais and they turn to honey. But Shino realizes there are real ones that contain deadly poison. Shino performs the seals for Mushikabe no jutsu (bug wall technique) and the bugs fly around them forming a protective sphere. The stonenins appear and again send a swarm of bees at them but this time Naruto notices the bees have explosive notes! The explosions send the leaf team flying down to the valley and the stonenins follow.

The leaf team prepares to attack but Suzumebachi performs the seals for Hachi Senbon No Jutsu (thousand bee stings). The needles hit the leaf genins but they’re just bug clones! But Suzumebachi and Jibachi were just wax clones as well. The team find the hive. Naruto finds Hinata in one of the honeycomb cells. He and Kiba free her from the wax. Hinata hugs Naruto tightly and Shino throws a kunai at her. He says if she were Hinata she would have fainted. Akamaru indicates that two smells are mixing together. Shino grabs her wrist and an explosive note falls to the ground. Suzumebachi was wearing Hinata’s jacket.

Meanwhile Hinata flows in the river while Jibachi ties a rope anchoring her to a post on land. Jibachi and Kurobachi go off to look for the Bikouchuu while bees stand guard over Hinata. The bees will cut the rope if she makes any strange moves.

Suzumebachi blows up part of the hive and the guys drop down. Kiba manages to hold onto the wall with chakra while Naruto and Shino hold onto Kiba. They see lots of bee larva below. Suzumebachi asks them to give up the Bikouchuu but Naruto refuses. She sends more bees with explosive notes. Kiba pulls the team to safety then he and Akamaru use Gatsuuga.

Hinata senses her comrades fighting and decides to not give up. She turns on her Byakugan (without using seal) and sees 13 bees around the rope.

The guys face the bee larvae that eat chakra.

Hinata forms a mini whirlpool and shards of water fly out and kill 12 of the 13 bees but the last one cuts the rope and she heads to the waterfall.

Meanwhile Suzumebachi summons a giant bee so the guys either have to face the larvae or the giant bee.

Review: Some good action and use of clones and henge by both sides.

Notes:

Kurobachi’s beeswax Suzumebachi clone was able to do her technique.

Thoughts:

How old is Suzumebachi? If the First Tsuchikage was her grandfather, shouldn’t she be Tsunade’s age? Shino says the battle occurred during his grandfather’s time which should be about 30 years ago.