The Final Rounds: Rush to the Battle Arena!

Naruto spots the banner at the stadium gate announcing that the finals begin the following day. He stops at Ramen Ichiraku, where Teuchi and Ayame treat him to a heaping bowl on the house to mark the occasion. Around the village the other fighters ready themselves: the older Ino-Shika-Cho generation gathers at a restaurant and needles Inoichi about his daughter, Temari and Kankuro tend their gear while Gaara broods on a rooftop, and Neji, Tenten, and Shino keep up their training.

The next morning Naruto meets Hinata at the training ground where Team 7 once faced the bell test. She tells him his encouragement during her own match against Neji made her a stronger person, and she believes he can win. Touched, Naruto says he likes people like her and invites her to watch him fight. Fireworks signal that time is short, so he bolts for the arena. Konohamaru offers a shortcut but only leads him to the far side of the village, then suggests riding the daimyo's bulls. Naruto's kick provokes a stampede, and despite the mayhem he reaches the stadium just as his match is called.

Most of the events in this installment are anime-original and do not appear in the manga. The bull stampede plays as a nod to the running of the bulls in Pamplona, Spain, where crowds race the animals through narrow streets toward the arena.