Episode 176 wraps the Buried Gold Excavation Mission with a comic town chase, as Naruto, Kiba, and Hinata hunt down copies of themselves and learn the whole job was a hidden test of their teamwork.
Main Characters (3)
Summary
The group works its way out of the cave-in with the recovered treasure, only to find that Hinata has hurt her leg. Recognising a pattern, that Naruto and Kiba bicker constantly while Hinata frets over everyone else, they move into the town to track down the duplicates produced by the Face Copying Technique. One by one the copies are outsmarted and beaten, with the sole holdout being Naruto's own.
Key Events
Naruto turns to shadow clones charged with the Nine-Tails' chakra to bring down his copy, which had been racking up a fortune in debt under his name and devouring his food, including ramen he had been saving for a special day. That same copy had crashed into Sakura as she left the library beneath a towering pile of books, then mocked her clumsiness. Furious, she unknowingly decks the genuine Naruto. Afterward the three teammates discover the mission existed to judge whether they could cooperate, and they are told they passed.
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Notes
The punchline lands on Tsunade, who is dismayed to learn that the prized treasure is actually an invoice for services rendered. The episode aired in Japan on 15 March 2006 and in the English dub on 21 June 2008.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the Buried Gold Excavation Mission actually testing?
The Buried Gold Excavation Mission turns out to be a hidden test of teamwork between Naruto, Kiba, and Hinata, and the three are told they passed once the truth comes out.
How does Naruto defeat his own duplicate in this episode?
Naruto turns to shadow clones charged with the Nine-Tails' chakra to bring down his own duplicate, created by the Face Copying Technique.
What trouble did Naruto's duplicate cause in Run, Dodge, Zigzag?
Naruto's duplicate racked up a fortune in debt under his name, devoured ramen he had been saving for a special day, and crashed into Sakura, mocking her clumsiness until she unknowingly punched the real Naruto.
What technique creates the duplicates hunted in this episode?
The duplicates chased through town in this episode are produced by the Face Copying Technique.
What does Tsunade learn about the treasure at the end of the episode?
Tsunade is dismayed to learn that the prized treasure recovered from the mission is actually an invoice for services rendered, not real gold.
Sources & Information
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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
- Created byMasashi Kishimoto
- Published byShueisha
- Animated byStudio Pierrot
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:
- Movie pages: theatrical posters and key visuals, credited to Studio Pierrot and Toho.
- Game pages: official box art for the Naruto: Ultimate Ninja Storm games, credited to Bandai Namco.
- Manga chapter pages: Jump Comics volume covers, credited to Shueisha and Masashi Kishimoto.
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