The Dark Creeping Clouds

Believing Raiga finished, the group turns back and finds Karashi lying in wait. The reunion proves to be a setup, and the Kurosuki family springs an ambush, but Naruto outwits them twice over with his clones. Once the attackers are put down, the villagers round on Karashi in their fury. Rock Lee steps between them, arguing that Karashi is still young and unsteady and that he himself bears part of the blame for the boy falling in with the Kurosuki. Lee asks that Karashi be allowed to go home to his mother, vowing to deal out the punishment himself should the youth ever stray again.

The villagers relent, and the group departs, but not before collecting Ranmaru. They return to the Curry of Life shop for a meal, where Naruto tries to coax information out of Ranmaru. Instead, Ranmaru has Karashi carry him to the canyon where Raiga plunged, and there he pours his own chakra into the swordsman to revive him.

Karashi lures the team into a Kurosuki ambush, which Naruto defeats using his clones. The villagers turn on Karashi until Rock Lee intervenes, taking responsibility and securing the boy's return to his mother. The group retrieves Ranmaru and stops at the Curry of Life shop. Ranmaru has Karashi bring him to the canyon and uses his own chakra to revive the fallen Raiga.

This installment is part of the anime-original Kurosuki Family Removal Mission storyline and is number 155 in the original Naruto series. It aired in Japan on October 12, 2005, and in English on April 5, 2008. The opening theme is Wind and Waves Satellite and the ending theme is Because You are With Me.