Ep 178: Encounter with a Boy Named "Star"

A meteorite crashes on earth, forming a huge crater and destroying the surrounding forest.

In Konoha, Tsunade sees a pigeon with a star anklet holding a message. It’s a request from Hidden Star village.

Naruto and Sakura have lunch together and Sakura says Neji will be in charge of the 3 man cell. Naruto thinks a shinobi village should take care of things themselves and not ask for help. Sakura explains that 200 years ago a star fell to the village which can influence chakra and has mysterious powers. It’s targeted by foreign shinobi. Naruto thinks it's something Orochimaru would be interested in and decides to join the team but Sakura points out the team has already been decided.

Naruto catches up with Neji, Lee and Tenten. He had bribed Tsunade with youkan (chocolate treat) with gold leaves from Amaguriya.

At the center of the crater is a building where young shinobi are training around the meteorite.

Naruto arrives at a cliff where the valley is filled with greenish yellow fog. Once he crosses the valley he'll be in Bear Country and the Hidden Star village should be close. He starts to run down the cliff but someone shoots arrows at his feet and he is forced to jump back up. A guy in goggles and respirator mask shoots a rope across and Naruto attacks with kunai. The guy deflects the kunai with chakra using Kujaku Myouhou (mysterious peacock method) where chakra fans out like a tail. Naruto responds with kage bunshin but the enemy scatters his chakra and destroys all the clones. Neji and the rest of the team arrive and Neji orders Naruto to stop. The guy takes off his mask to reveal he's Sumaru from Hidden Star Village. The valley (borders Bear Country) is filled with poisonous gas. Foreign shinobi cannot infiltrate the area as it serves as a natural barrier.

The team meets the substitute Hoshikage of the Hidden Star Village, Akashoshi. The 3rd Hoshikage died a year ago. Neji notes that only in the 5 main villages are the leaders called kage. Sumaru interrupts to say their village will be recognized and he will be Hoshikage. Akashoshi explains they have the star that is envied by the five villages, and with the star’s power they have the potential to elect a 6th kage.

Naruto follows Sumaru and they gaze at the stars. Naruto asks if anyone with the star would have that amazing chakra, but Sumaru angrily retorts that you need hard work to control it. He rants about being Hoshikage and Naruto happily tells him he'll be Hokage.

A goggle-respirator masked shinobi steals the star from the training ground. Sumaru and Naruto arrive to see the thief running away. Naruto pursues while Sumaru checks on his friends.

Naruto catches up to the shinobi thief and uses kage bunshin but the enemy uses the same technique as Sumaru with even greater. The chakra forms a wolf-like creature. Naruto's clones all throw shuriken but they’re all deflected by the chakra. His clones manage to grab onto the thief who cannot move while concentrating chakra. But the thief deflects Naruto's attack again. Then twin wolves form into one and attack Naruto. Sumaru arrives and the thief scatters chakra to form wings and flies away.

Sumaru says he was wrong to trust Naruto who let him get away. Naruto tells Sumaru that the enemy was using his technique. Sumaru says he can't unless he's received training. Naruto asks if that means he's from the village.

Review: Just another unpromising filler arc.

Notes:

Kujaku Myouhou = mysterious peacock method

Shihou happou shuriken no jutsu = all direction shuriken technique

Youkan = chocolate treat

Mizure – star shinobi, sick guy

Hokuta – star shinobi, girl

Sumaru - star shinobi, main character

Satou Akahoshi - temporary Hoshikage

Thoughts:

Are meteorites radioactive?

Is Hidden Star Village in Bear Country?