"Viva Dojo Challenge! Youth Is All About Passion!"
Naruto has returned to the village and the chunin proctors are once again on gate duty. They greet him and the first one asks him if he is back from some sort of solo mission to which he enthusiastically replies yep, he was delivering some letter for grandma Tsundade. The second one tells him to report to her right away and he was already heading that way. Naruto is heading that way but notices that the village has changed a lot in the week he was gone.
That sign wasn't here before. Dojo challenges? More and more signs pop up as he goes along and he follows one leading down an alleyway. A tight alleyway he has to squeeze through. Welcome to hot blooded dojo. Who the heck would build a dojo out here?!? He tries to peek in through the slats in the door but ends up falling inside.
"I have been waiting." Du wha? "You have accepted my challenge?" It's bushy-brows! He says Naruto can attack him from any direction. Naruto is legit...confused and stays on the ground. Lee takes his lack of action as the first move and comes in for the strike, nearly missing with a right, a left and a straight right kick while Naruto asks him what the deal is. Lee snaps out of it and notices it is Naruto. That was a close one. So my first dojo challenger will be you Naruto? He could not wish for a better challenge. He begins skipping up and down and says he will fight with all his might before unleashing a high left kick that nearly takes Naruto's ear off before going into a Leaf Hurricane.
This one finally connects sending Naruto through the wall and leaving a Loony Toons imprint. Sometime later Lee offers him some tea, he only came to take a look. If he had told Lee in the first place he could have avoided being kicked. Naruto with a black eye says sorry it was kinda hard to talk to you, being too busy trying to kill him and all. Lee apologizes for that and we see the hole hastily covered up with boards. Naruto looks around and asks if it is his dojo. It is. He's been building it piece by piece for a long time and finally finished it six days ago.
He's been distributing these challenge posters in the Leaf Village and around the nearby towns and villages too. Naruto just got back from a mission so he didn't know about it. Naruto then asks why he built the dojo and Lee tells him up close and personal that this will further his training. Lee is worried that his missions have kept him too busy from proper training and even when he had the time he didn't usually have effective training partners. Just as he was thinking about this he saw something in another village and in another FLASHBACK.
It's Team Guy! Lee heard someone standing in front of a dojo issuing a challenge. He observes a man being seen into the training hall and saying that he's been far and wide to perfect his training and if he wins this match he'll claim their marquee as his own. The dojo master accepts and Lee watched the fight. Lee then snaps back to the present and says that if he builds it, they will come...to fight him. Finally he'll get some real practice but no one has shown up yet. Naruto puts down his tea and says he gets it but Lee grasps him by the wrist and looks deep into his eyes. You're here right now, why don't you issue a challenge? If he wins he will get his handpainted marquee! Naruto thinks that is great...but he doesn't need one. Lee begs him not to say no! Naruto squirms away with the perfectly valid excuse that he does need to report to granny hokage and he needs to book it over there. See ya around as he runs out the door and Lee screams for him to be his first...challenger that is.
Naruto is worried that he spent too much time messing around and that the granny is going to kill him. He needs to stay clear of Bushy-brows dojo when a voice repeats what he said out loud. It's Might Guy, aka Bushierbrow-Sensei. Did I hear what I thought I heard? They talk it over at the dumpling shop and he hands Guy the challenge flyer. While Guy was on his mission Lee was so desparate for practice that he opened his own dojo. Guy begins sobbing. He's both moved and impressed by his pupil! Naruto continues with the crux of the problem; no challengers have arrived. How dare the other dojos treat him like this?!? Lee's hopes and dreams unrealized! He promises to hunt down those cowards and that he won't go easy on them. Wouldn't that leave even fewer folks to challenge? Guy is shook and wants to know what to do! He then snaps out of his breakdown with a brilliant idea; he'll come disguised as a dojo challenger. Naruto is incredulous over this idea. He'll act out the part of the first challenger and we get our patented guy smile gleam.
Ha hah. A perfect diguise. No one will recognize him in this. Here I come Lee! When suddenly who comes running up calling his name? Well if it isn't Sakura! She's out of breath and has been looking for him. It's a mission from the 5th Hokage, an emergency distress call from Shikamaru's squad which was on a transport mission. We're flying blind and we don't know how strong the enemy is so they can't make a mistake. Shizune points to the map there approximate location and they are not far away. The hokage continues with the outline, first do some recon to confirm the situation and then if they need help provide it. He gives confirmation and leaves the office and after the door is shut Tsunade asks what you've all been thinking, does anyone have a clue why he was dressed like that? Sakura gives the Idunno vocalization and hand gesture. Guy blazes by the same guards Naruto met at the beginning and someone with a spyglass in the tree notices the odd green beast of Konoha speeding down the road. Whatever, he says and he's sure he won't mind if he borrows his form to infiltrate the Leaf. Perfect transformaton, wig and fake face fuzz intact. A perfect disguise. I, Nanafushi, shall find out every last detail and weakness as a non comedy crow caws. Naruto is back talking with Lee in the dojo about the challenger to Lee's dojo he met on the road. That's what he told him, he's got no reason to think otherwise, he saw the fliers. Lee wants to know where he is. Naruto is looking around nervous wondering where Guy-Sensei is. Lee opens his eyes and says that since the challenger isn't here he'd like to spar...against you! Naruto freaks out and says he will go find him and Lee calls after saying they should work up a vigorous sweat...in battle.
Fake Guy comes running back and the first guard notices. The second says he knew that outfit was a bad idea. The fake wonders what he is talking about with "that outfit" when Naruto wanders by and sees his disguise and cringes saying that everyone can recognize him. The man does a perfect Guy voice and says he didn't think it was a great idea either while internally he is scared shitless as this little boy just outed him immediately. Bushierbrow-Sensei, would you hurry up! If he doesn't show up then Naruto has to fight him and he doesn't want that so he drags the impostor away. The first guard asks if he seemed weird and the second replies, no weirder than usual. The fake decides sticking with Naruto might be for the best as it gives him some cover until he's got the lay of the land as he brings him to Lee's Dojo. He tells him once again that his costume is horrible and that he better put on a good act. Lee is impatient for his first challenge. He opens the door for fake Guy and Lee does the same speech he did to Naruto at the beginning.
Come in, I am ready. The fake is stammering so Naruto feeds him his lines. I issue a challenge. "Do I hear a familiar call?" Does he come to destroy this dojo's reputation? He accepts the challenge. The fake thinks this is absurd but he's got no choice but to go easy on this kid...who disappears and kicks him into the wall Naruto went through...and then up to the ceiling with a flurry of blows. Naruto is wondering what the heck is going on; he knew Guy was only pretending to lose but this selling is too much and he's gotta make it look interesting. Naruto then assumes he is not fighting because Lee would instantly recognize his master's techniques. Fake guy is bodied, thinking that he's used all of his nine lives already in this hellacious beat down. He's had enough and submits! It takes a second but Lee celebrates, he has one his first official challenge! Not so fast says Naruto. He clearly means he is going to "submit his official challenge to you" instead. Both men in green are surprised but Fake Guy is SHOOK as the comedy music starts up. He's clearly just been warming up. Lee understands now why the challenge was so easy before and resumes a fighting stance. Lee promises to go all out and not hold anything back and socks the man right in the jaw. Naruto compliments Bushierbrows acting skills, he almost has him fooled with the way he is getting pummeled.
Yo it's Team Ino-Shika-Cho! They were only being attacked by monkies. They grabbed Choji's snacks but the cargo is intact. Choji sighs, all his snacks, stolen. Ino panicked, thought it was a real attack and sent out a distress signal. Ino yells at Shikamaru saying it wasn't her fault and then blames Choji for bringing so much junk food along. Choji counters that they are a limited edition Land of Tea exclusive snack "Green Tea Pork Flavored Chips" so he had to buy so many and Shikamaru sticks his fingers in his ears. It would be a crime for a true connoisseur to pass up a chance like that. Ino wants to know why that is her problem and the two bicker. Guy thinks Shikamaru had a rough time of it while Shikamaru thinks the same of Guy, what with that getup. Guy doesn't get it and Ino opens her compact to show him. He remembers the dojo challenge and runs back while the kids are confused.
Lee is mercilessly beating the challenger and Naruto thinks Guy is overdoing it when Lee knocks him upside down through the wall. Naruto calls a time out and dumps a bucket of water on the man. He tells him to fight back now, the guy would if he could. Naruto is worried that if Lee doesn't find this satisfying he could be next. Fake guy claims that it's been one extreme mission after another and that he hasn't had much sleep. Naruto buys this answer and the fake asks for a little rest to recover and wants Naruto to act in his stead for awhile. He flips out over this. Meanwhile Might Guy comes running back through the gates. Was that Guy again? I could have sworn he already came back. No wonder these two never made Jonin. A slightly higher pitched fake Guy comes back for the challenge. Lee is impressed that he has taken such a beating yet stands there unharmed. The world is so vast yet such an amazing challenger found me, this dojo is worth it for this experience alone. Naruto thinks to himself that his Taijutsu isn't enough...luckily he has his own tricks. Shadow Clone Jutsu. Lee thinks it is to be expected for such a man to know ninjutsu. He beats through the clones in rapid succession including four at once with a Leaf Hurricane. He thinks the real one is right above him and grabs him in a primary lotus!
Nope, also a fake. A floorboard creaks and its a vintage Naruto uppercut! Lee dodges with a backflip and the challenger wants to try this again. What more clones?
You could say that. So many Sakuras in one place. Lucky Day! He begins crying as he has never known such happiness in his entire life.
SNAP OUT OF IT, CHA. They sucker punch him. We did it! Lee remembers what he is doing here. A clever ruse that he will not fall for again. They may look like Sakura but they are not her. They give him the puppy dog eyes and say that was so mean while internally Naruto thinks this is ridiculous and wishes Guy was here. The fake guy outside thinks they are spoiled brats...but boy do they fight at a high level. The rumors that the Leaf lost their strength were lies. The sounds of conflict continue from inside as he twitches his brow. He's decided this form will cause too much trouble and switches...
Into Lee. I think you know where this is going. Guy shows up and the crow calls. He challenges Lee, the master of the dojo. He is going to defeat him and claim the marquee. Meanwhile the two in the dojo are winded and complimenting each other on the good fight as fake Lee bursts through another wall. Bushy Brow? What, Me? DYNAMIC ENTRY! A NEW CHALLENGER HAS APPEARED. Naruto transforms back into his form after naming the real Guy. Lee is confused. Guy is laying into the fake Lee about his training being poor and it being too soon for him to open a dojo. The man begs off in his real voice but Guy gives him the punch of love and the disguise falls off as he cries and asks forgiveness for the tough love. The true challenger was Guy? Then who did I punch through the wall? Naruto has never seen him before. They all bring the fake into her office. Great timing, she was going to assemble them all for a mission. A ninja from the Land of Valleys is attempting to infiltrate the Leaf. A ninja Named Nanafushi says Shizune. Tsunade holds up a picture of the man on Guy's back. Ohohohohoho. They point to the man on his back and Guy drops him on the floor. Mission, complete! We'll be leaving now as the Hokage and Shizune want an explanation and not to have a man on their floor as the episode ends.
NEXT EPISODE: "The Mysterious Curse of the Haunted Castle"