"Bounty Hunter from the Wilderness"
Kiba and Akamaru are running through a field of flowers while Hinata and Naruto are having a moment. She made him a lunch!
Adorable! Naruto isn't a fan. This isn't a picnic, it's a mission and it's only the three of them (Akamaru, Hinata, Naruto) as Naruto remembers the circumstance behind being assigned this duty. "This mission is boring and I don't want to go catch some petty thief!" in front of Tsunade and the entire assembled staff. Normally she'd just send squad Ten but Shino is already on a mission. Naruto is better than nothing (Hinata agrees with a blush) No team leader needed, just catch the thief named Gosunkugi, aka the Nail. He stole the Misogi tea jar owned by the feudal lord of the Land of Tea. They take that shit very seriously apparently. He's hiding in the Land of Stone. She sends them out right away while Naruto gives her more lip.
Akamaru at least enjoyed the lunch break.
Hinata looks a bit down here. Kiba is happy as easy missions are fine for a break. Naruto wants to get it over with because it is an easy mission, what if Pervy Sage returns while he is gone? Hinata apologizes but she's so happy to be sent out on a mission with him, nearly a love confession.
Naruto couldn't hear her mumbling though and wonders why her cheeks are so red. Luckily they are close to the Land of Stone. Kiba encourages Naruto to go eat himself. He's delicious! He compliments Hinata that "she'll someday make one heck of a wife" and she goes all red. They make it to the border town of Post Station one and it looks like a beat up old west stage village. A murder of crows spooks them as the title card finally appears four minutes into the episode.
It's a ghost town! No wait, there are desperadoes all over the place staring at these outsiders. Akamaru's danger sense goes off. Kiba wonders if he senses the bounty head and Naruto chucks a Kunai right at said head! A wanted poster! He hit him right between the eye. He's worth 3 million woolong and the posters are everywhere. Naruto starts sleuthing for information and heads to the saloon. He wants to ask questions but with no badge he's going to have to be a paying customer. In that case he asks for Ramen, Neji wants a cheeseburger and milk for Akamaru. The customers start laughing and the bartender gives them shit. Naruto shows his fat frog wallet (proof that the pervy sage hasn't been around off camera!) and the nearby thug tries to take it after cutting a promo about all the unsavory characters here. Naruto tells him to let go of his wrist.
Shouldn't have been so handsy as he goes flying into a table. He stands up and draws a wicked blade as the rest of the toughs also get ready for a fight. Are they going to do this? Yep.
Of the two seated men the one in the Stetson stands up first. It's Steve Blum! He wants a glass of milk...and he gets it with no fuss and gives it to Akamaru, it's on the dude who Naruto sent flying says the stranger, who tries to take it out of his hide.
Yep, goes about as well as you'd expect. The sword has a gun stock as its hilt. Oh shit he was a bounty head! It's cowboy Samurai Spike! He gives the bounty to the barkeep who can pay for the milk and get a new table. He walks by the other seated man and asks if the bounty head was his. He doesn't reply. Naruto and the rest were impressed and follow Spike out the door. Naruto calls him an old man who then introduces himself. Sazanami, a bounty hunter. Naruto is impressed! That was an amazing sword draw. Hinata is impressed as well and Kiba compares it to a blink of an eye. Spike goes on about how he could have nine lives of a cat but it wouldn't mean jack if you didn't have a quick draw, pardner. We get a Shucks Howdy from Naruto who asks about the bounty hunting trade. He explains the basics, people offer money to catch criminal types. Naruto shows him the poster and Spike is SHOOK. Naruto wants to know why the bounty is so high on this routine thug. He's a killer, a Super Class A bounty (Ninjas are real superheroes in this world while Spike here is just a street level vigilante) This evil man kills when he robs and has no problem doing it again. Hinata makes excuses, maybe the feudal lord didn't know. Spike wonders about the use of the word mission and they reveal that they are Leaf-nin. He laughs at these pint size Ninjas not old enough to shave and they take offense. He offers milk but Naruto wants Ramen, Kiba wants his cheeseburger just like his idol Randy and Hinata also wants Ramen. He agrees, anything you'd like. They've been walking for awhile and are beyond the outskirts. No ramen shop here so the deal is off. Would have made a good last meal. It's an obvious trap as we head to the late commercial break. These kids are gonna die here. They know too much; Gosunkugi is here. Gosunkugi is his prey. Kiba wants him to go away and catch him on his own. Spike hates competition though and ninja are trouble. He blocks the kunai Naruto throws and...
What a heel! She cries out for Naruto to help. Ninja Art: Beast Mimicry: All Fours Jutsu! He knocks out Hinata with the hilt of his sword and clashes with Kiba, judo chopping him on the neck from behind! Akamaru is also dispatched. It's one on one, he can do it the easy way or the hard way. Ring of Shadow Clones! He's gonna pay. Three in one stroke!. Naruto goes from the air and that one is taken out, also a clone. Another from the ground is taken out by the scabbard. That's the real one! He apologizes but he must beat him no matter what the cost. I sense backstory.
That night we see five strangely dressed men that Spike is tailing. Akamaru wakes up Kiba. They got whooped by an old guy. Naruto asks if Hinata is alright, she is. They want to know where Spike is and run back into town. Kiba wonders if he skipped town and Akamaru has the scent. Spike is following the weirdos out of town...but was spotted! He doesn't want these small fries.
Baw Gawhd it's the Nail! The Nail is here! Spike waited a long time for this but Gosunkugi doesn't have time for this shit and throws a bunch of nails into the air. The nails sink into the dirt, Ninja Art Torpedo Nail. Nails to spike's foot! Then he shoots the rest at him! Brutal move as he sends his goons after him. Naruto deputizes his shadow clones and goes after Gosunkugi, who runs off like a bitch. Spike wants them to wait as he collaspes. He's too strong for the three kids! They bring him to a shack above town and tend his wounds. Kiba figured it out; Gosunkugi is a runaway Shinobi. The other mysterious man from the bar is peeking in on the shack and the ninja get ready for it blowing out the candle. He's after Spike! (unfortunately it's not Jet's voice) The kids beat him off and he drops a wanted poster. Tokichi a man who killed a family of three with a bird shaped birthmark on his chest. Looks kinda like...
Hinata spoils it as she was tending his wounds and saw the birthmark. The face is scarred but its him. "Can this mission get any weirder?" Find out next time.
NEXT EPISODE: "Hunt or Be Hunted?! Showdown at the O.K. Temple!"