High-Level Shinobi

Inside his own thoughts, Naruto revisits the road he once shared with Sasuke, from tricking Zabuza side by side to their bitter falling out at the Valley of the End. Sasuke insists that nothing will pull him from his path of revenge and that Naruto's only choices are to kill him or be killed, but Naruto refuses to accept either. When their Rasengan and Chidori collide and detonate, the blast throws both boys back. Naruto's shadow clone tosses Kakashi clear to catch him, while a parasite clone of White Zetsu snatches Sasuke.

Certain that Sasuke will not turn back, White Zetsu reports to Madara, who waits in his hideout among stored Sharingan and Danzo's corpse. Rather than let Zetsu fight, Madara chooses to preserve the eventual duel between Naruto and Sasuke, since he intends to claim the Nine-Tails through it. Before they vanish, Naruto tells Sasuke he will be waiting if he ever comes for Konoha, ready to carry the weight of his hatred. Pressed on why he cares, Naruto answers simply that they are friends, recalling how two true shinobi can understand each other through their fists.

Naruto admits he finally grasps some of what Sasuke carries, and says he would keep trading blows if that is the only way to reach him. Sasuke coldly refuses the connection and repeats that he will kill him, yet Naruto answers with a smile that a real fight would leave them both dead, at least freed of their burdens in the next life. Kakashi tries to strike Madara with Kamui, only to be told the technique cannot touch him, and as Madara warps away Sasuke says he has a request.

Naruto and his clones suddenly collapse from the poison of Sasuke's earlier cut, and Sakura administers the antidote while Kakashi decides to bring the witness Karin back to Konoha. At his base, Madara hears Sasuke ask to have Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan transplanted into his own failing eyes, worn down after three uses of Susanoo in a single day. When Madara questions his sudden readiness, Sasuke answers that he needs the Eternal Mangekyo's power for any chance of killing Naruto.

This episode is part of the Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown arc of Naruto: Shippuden and adapts chapters 482, 486, and 487. It aired in Japan on June 16, 2011, and in English on November 16, 2013. The opening theme is Lovers and the ending theme is Freedom.