Shippuden's 18th episode has the rescue team crack the sealed entrance to the Akatsuki hideout, only to storm inside and find Deidara and Sasori waiting atop Gaara's body, igniting Naruto's fury.
Peering into the lair with his Byakugan, Neji cannot pin down Gaara because Naruto keeps yanking him about, though he does glimpse the Demonic Statue of the Outer Path without grasping its nature. When Guy fails to smash the blocking boulder, Kakashi deduces a Five-Seal Barrier is at work, meaning four additional tags must be torn away in unison with the one on the rock. Neji marks every tag, and Team Guy fans out by radio to reach them.
Inside, the astral projections of most Akatsuki fade as their owners depart. Only Deidara and Sasori remain in the flesh, tasked with killing the intruders while keeping the Nine-Tails host alive. The job of seizing Naruto, once Itachi's, passes to Sasori, and Itachi remarks that the boy is the type to charge in loudly before anyone else. The leader departs, leaving the pair to wait.
Outside, the seals are ripped free together, collapsing the barrier, and Sakura's monstrous strength pulverizes the boulder. The team slips through with the Button Hook Entry and is met at once by Deidara and Sasori perched on Gaara's corpse. The sight drives Naruto to draw on the fox's chakra, his eyes reddening and whiskers thickening, as strange blobs begin forming around each member of Team Guy.
Kakashi identifies the entrance's protection as a Five-Seal Barrier requiring all five tags to be pulled simultaneously, and Neji locates them for Team Guy to disable. The barrier falls, Sakura shatters the boulder, and the rescue squad enters. Responsibility for capturing Naruto shifts from Itachi to Sasori. Discovering Gaara's body beneath the two Akatsuki, Naruto begins tapping into the Nine-Tails' power, while duplicates start manifesting in front of Team Guy through the Mirrored Sudden Attacker Technique.

Naruto vs Luffy with the twist nobody asked for: Luffy tickled Hinata on date night, and she kind of liked it. We break down the whole fight and commit to a winner....

Naruto built the transformation jutsu himself, and the Hidden Leaf has been quietly not talking about it ever since. The story behind our 90s R&B record about the Naruko question everybody dodges....
The episode falls within the Kazekage Rescue Mission arc and adapts two source chapters. The captured Nine-Tails jinchūriki is ordered taken alive rather than killed, a directive that shapes how Deidara and Sasori approach the coming fight.
Kakashi identifies the entrance's protection as a Five-Seal Barrier, which requires all five tags to be pulled free at the same time. Neji locates the tags with his Byakugan, Team Guy tears them away together, and Sakura shatters the blocking boulder with her strength.
Responsibility for capturing Naruto shifts from Itachi to Sasori once the rescue team enters the Akatsuki hideout. Itachi notes that Naruto is the type to charge in loudly before anyone else.
Seeing Gaara's body beneath Deidara and Sasori drives Naruto to begin tapping into the Nine-Tails' chakra, his eyes reddening and his whiskers thickening. The moment marks the start of his transformation in the fight ahead.
Deidara and Sasori use the Mirrored Sudden Attacker Technique, which causes strange duplicate blobs to start forming around each member of Team Guy. It appears just as the rescue team reaches Gaara's body.
Charge Tactic! Button Hook Entry is episode 18 of Naruto: Shippuden and falls within the Kazekage Rescue Mission arc, adapting chapters 262 and 263. The Akatsuki are under orders to capture Naruto alive rather than kill him.
Looking for more on Charge Tactic! Button Hook Entry? The Naruto Wiki on Fandom has a dedicated page with community notes.
View on FandomThis content is original writing by Daddy Jim Headquarters based on the Naruto anime series, manga, and official materials. Episode and chapter references are cited where applicable.
Rights holders
All rights belong to their respective owners.
Character and scene imagery on this site is original artwork by Daddy Jim Headquarters, not screenshots or licensed imagery. Official cover art is used on three types of pages for editorial commentary:
Official resources:
Daddy Jim Headquarters maintains this encyclopedia. If you spot an error, a translation issue, or something that doesn't look right, let us know.