Paradox

The Third Raikage shrugs off the division's assault and reminds them how he ought to be struck. Temari and other war-fan users pin him with the Wind Release: Cast Net, and though he seems restrained, he flings back the Sealing Team members who close in to bind him. Recognising his old aide Dodai among the Allied ranks, he steps forward and explains that only a far stronger Wind Release could hope to breach him. With no such user in the entire alliance, Naruto's shadow clone arrives and volunteers for the task.

Naruto shapes a Rasenshuriken and, after some manipulation with chakra arms, lands it, yet the blow proves as useless as the rest. Kabuto erases the Third's personality as the fighters fall back, and Dodai has the Earth Release users raise a great wall, which he reinforces with rubber, only for the Raikage to punch through it with his Hell Stab. Curious how the man earned the scar hailed as the ultimate shield, Naruto has Dodai buy time with a rubber-ball distraction so they can contact Inoichi and reach B, who recounts the monstrous clash between the Third and the Eight-Tails. Piecing this together, Naruto shifts into Sage Mode after his cloak fades. In the end the Third impales himself with his own One-Finger Nukite, crumbles, and is finally bound and sealed. Dodai concludes that no single person can hold both the mightiest spear and the mightiest shield, judging the Third the greatest spear, while Naruto names Gaara the greatest shield. On another front, the division still struggles against the Second Mizukage.

The 301st episode of Naruto: Shippuden is part of the Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc and covers chapters 552 through 555. Its Japanese title pairs the characters for spear and shield, framing the episode's whole theme. It aired in Japan on 21 February 2013 and in English on 4 July 2015, with opening theme If and ending theme Goodbye Memory.