These episodes conclude the "Sennin Training" and "Konoha's Destruction" arcs of Naruto Shippuden, bringing the attack of the Pain Ninja to a suitably dramatic conclusion. Much of the action takes place in flashbacks and altered states of consciousness and/or reality. Naruto defeats the Sixth Pain in a duel that threatens to loose the terrible nine-tailed fox demon imprisoned in his body. His father, whom he never knew, helps him preserve the seal. Naruto uses one of the chakra antennae to locate the real Pain, Nagato, and confront him. In a series of prolonged flashbacks, Nagato fills in the story of how he, Yahiko, and Konan survived as war orphans until Jiraiya-sensei cared for them. Naruto counters with an account of his own alienated childhood. Their struggle evolves into a clash between Nagato's rejection of the possibility of peace in the Ninja world and Naruto's unshakable belief in Jiraiya's mission to end hatred and create an era of understanding. Faith and honor triumph over wrath, and Nagato undoes much of the destruction he wreaked on the Hidden Leaf Village and its inhabitants in his final act. The conclusion of this storyline packs a powerful emotional punch. The "Konoha's Legacy" arc, a mixture of material from Masashi Kishimoto's manga and original anime content which begins with episode 176, focuses on how Naruto influenced the people around him, beginning with Iruka-sensei and Kakashi-sensei in the original Naruto series. Although Pain was defeated, Madara, the masked leader of the evil Akatsuki, continues to plot against the Hidden Leaf, and Sasuke is pursuing his own potentially deadly agenda. The two-part flashback comedy-adventure "Yondaime Hokage's Legacy" (episodes 170 to 171) originally aired as a one-hour special in Japan. (Rated T+ Older Teen, but suitable for ages 12 and older: violence, violence against women, minor risqu?umor, grotesque imagery, alcohol and tobacco use) --Charles Solomon
(167. Catastrophic Pl
