"Vanished Memories"
A torrential downpour, a burning village being raided by foes. People fleeing, those begging for their lives being cut down in the streets. A lightning bolt illuminates one man making his way to the woods on the border of the town and they pursue him, knocking him down with a kunai throw to the shoulder. His daughter steps in front of him and begs for them to leave her father alone. The blond bandit holds up while the other one approaches, telling him to remember his job. He takes the father's necklace and he begs them to spare his daughter. The bandit tells him to save his breath and cuts him down. The kid cries and the bandit draws his sword up to strike her down. The blond bandit tells him not to touch her before throwing a kunai in his shoulder. Make that through his shoulder as the other bandit falls. He gives the necklace to the girl telling her its all right as he smiles. The girl nearly falls into the river as the ledge collapses but he saves her...only to fall down as his portion of the ledge gives out!
Naruto is reaching for a plant. Legendary Menma Pickled Bamboo Shoots, Naruto asks Teuchi in a FLASHBACK. Yep, but the shoots are hard to find only growing high up on the side of steep cliffs, really hard to find. That's only because I wasn't looking for it, he'll try his best because he wants to try that on top of his ramen no matter where it is. Naruto almost grabs the plant but nearly falls down the cliff before catching himself. He's got the plant but sees a person on the rock jutting out of the river. Is he alive? He falls into the river himself!
The Konoha hospital at night...hello nurse Sakura! All this thunder but no rain, it's creepy. As she says this Naruto pops up out of nowhere with a terrifying look in his eyes.
Hey keep it down this is a hospital zone says Naruto. You made me yell, you moron! Naruto is impressed that the medical core finally gave her a uniform. She poses and asks if he likes it, she's been waiting forever to get one and he says it looks good. Anyways it's a lucky break that he found her as he's got someone here you've gotta look at. He points to the blond kid lying prone a ways off. Sakura is shook and says it looks like he has hypothermia. Oh, you know the guy, that's a funny name? That's not his name you idiot, it's when your body tempurature...oh why bother...yeah, Hypothermia, a guy I used to know. Naruto picks him up in a fireman's carry and says that'll make things easier. Sakura ever a stickler for the rules tells him not to bring an outsider into a Leaf Village hospital but Naruto can't just leave him on the ground and he has an important mission. He brings the shoots to Teuchi who identifies the shoots as the real do so Naruto tells him to slap them on a bowl of Ramen for them as he grabs his chopsticks. Hate to break it to you but it'll take three to four weeks to pickle them. Naruto is shocked. Boiled, then fermented slowly. So even a little taste is out of the question?
Teuchi tries to teach him a valuable lesson in patience as nurse Sakura finds him busy on his important mission, domeing him for his insolence and trouble making. She continues the abuse by pulling his ear and wondering what he was thinking dumping that guy on her and coming here to stuff his face. That was the plan. The medical ninja with the boy attempts the Back to the Past jutsu (more filler continuity) while nurse Sakura and Naruto look on. Naruto asks what the ninja is doing and Sakura explains that he is probing his memory before Naruto remembers that reverse hypnosis thing they used on him awhile ago. The medical ninja asks the patient if he can remember anything now but he just shakes his head no. It seems he has completely lost his memory. The doctor is going to try more tomorrow. Sakura and Naruto continue the conversation in a nearby office and Sakura tells Naruto that the boy has total amnesia. No memory of his name or the village he came from and if that jutsu didn't work it's a severe case. Naruto asks if there was anything on him to identify him with and she says no. The only thing he had was an ocarina split in two. You could fix it pretty easily he says. Sakura continues on that the amnesia might be shock related and his memory could return before handing Naruto a release form to sign. What's this for? For liability. We don't treat outsiders ever so it is your fault if he causes trouble. Naruto hopes he doesn't live to regret doing a good deed.
Thunderstorms with no rain once again haunt the hospital that night. The boy wakes up and notices the cracked ocarina as the lightning flashes...
and crashes down on a nearby building, waking Naruto up! It's a fire near the hospital. Sakura is helping with the evacuation as the boy starts leaving his room. The fire is on his floor though and he's also in a state of shock over the fire. Collapsing to the ground and asking for forgiveness. Sakura is yelling on the floors if anyone is still there but the boy can't hear her. Sakura goes out to talk with Shizune and the 5th Hokage who ask if she got everyone out. She just checked. Naruto asks if everyone is ok and Sakura says she thinks so. Naruto doesn't see his friend anywhere...and neither does a mother of a baby who comes running up. The boy is in the middle of the blaze and hears the baby crying so he ninja runs through the flames and into the nursery. He starts playing the ocarina and the sound travels. Sakura is talking Naruto out of going in there, the baby is in the furthest ward when they hear the sound of the flute.
The boy with the baby appears in the nearby window. He jumps for it and Naruto springs into action with his Shadow Clones. He attempts to catch the two but they land on the pile instead. Look who he's got with him, says Sakura. Well done says the Hokage and the mother rushes over to grab the baby and thank the boy, who says's you're welcome. She can never thank him enough.
A mystery outsider with amnesia, well this is a fine mess you've put us in. He's just one guy, says Naruto, you know you're going to let him in. Shizune points out the obvious security risk and how it's unheard of. Naurto tries to claim what he did at the hospital proves he isn't a spy but Shizune doesn't believe in exceptions to security policy. Naruto has taken responsibility for him. Tsunade asks Sakura if the boy has remember anything, he hasn't. Naruto attempts to bribe the Hokage with rare pickled Menma Bamboo shoots which Shizune has never heard of. Naruto was picking them after his last mission!
You were supposed to be reporting back here after your mission, not pick bamboo! You can let go now. Tsunade asks Naruto if he is serious about taking care of the boy, he is. Tsunade says they can't just kick him out after he saved the life of one of their own and the genin are pleased, you won't be sorry grandma. He's hanging out with the boy at the ramen shop and introduces himself. The boy is embarrassed as he has no name so Naruto decides to name him Menma after the Bamboo Shoots. Menma thinks it is as good a name as any so they complete their introductions. Teuchi brings out the ramen and Menma thinks it looks delicious as Naruto tells him it is the best in the world. Teuchi taunts him with the lack of the rare bamboo and that he hasn't tasted anything like it. Naruto promises to take Menma again when it is ready.
They next head to Naruto's apartment. His home is your home but it's a little messy. Looks like a bomb went off. Naruto tells him its not that bad, don't be so picky and that tomorrow they'll work on getting his memory back. Menma has a hard time falling asleep but Naruto is dreaming about eating more ramen. Menma got up early and cleaned the apartment because he couldn't sleep. He's hanging his laundry out to dry...but Naruto is LEGIT SHOOK when he notices Menma had washed his drawers and tells him from now on he'll handle it. They head out for the day on a mission to get his memory back...with a food tour of Konoha. First Sand Dumplings from the Land of Wind, then Stone Rice Cakes from the Land of Earth, and so on. He wants to see if any of the different cuisines looks familiar to him but no. He apologizes but Naruto tells him it's not his fault. Mena wants Naruto not to worry about his memory, it'll come back when it comes back and is more curious if Naruto has any work to do. He's supposed to clean the Hokage faces again. He volunteers to help but before he does that he goes to help an old lady with her groceries. She also needs help with her garden as the weeds are too much for her old back. Naruto helps out as well. More old people need help in this part of the village.
The Hokage is curious about a stack of presents on her desk. They are all thank you gifts from around the village for Naruto and that boy says Shizune. What have the two them been doing. Naruto thinks Menma is an unusual guy for being so hardworking and kind. Menma just wants to live his life the right way, no regrets, you know. Naruto asks if that means he's remembered something, but no. Suddenly Naruto gets smacked on the face with something wet. Is it bird poop?
No, it's blood as a Chunin comes crashing down. Naruto grabs the man and Menma helps him. Naruto asks the ninja what happened and he replies weakly that there is someone in the village as a rain of projectile weapons comes toward the cleaning cart. Naruto carrying the wounded ninja and Menma jump for safety and Naruto asks Memna to stay with him as he leaves.
He hits the treeline and ducks behind a tree to stop some kunai...which are attached to paper bombs! Kaboom. He dodges some more kunai and then tells the assilant to come out and fight before a Kunai attached to a ribbon breaks the branch he is on. Menma shows up and starts playing his ocarina. Naruto hears the flute and is buffed up by the song as his chakra network goes into overdrive. He leaps at supersonic speeds towards the pale faced attacker, and catches him almost immediately with a kunai straight to the back.
That's gonna leave a mark...on the bark because it was a substitution jutsu. Menma shows up behind Naruto and asks if he is ok but Naruto is more curious about the music and just who Menma is as the episode ends.
NEXT EPISODE: "Bringing Back Reality"
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