▪	RELEASED BY:		VIZ MEDIA
		▪	ASPECT RATIO:		4:3 FULL SCREEN
		▪	AUDIO:		ENGLISH AND JAPANESE DD 2.0
		▪	RUNNING TIME:		350 MIN
		▪	RATING:		T
		▪	RELEASE DATE:		06//10/2008
		▪	REVIEW DATE:		08/15/2008
		▪	REVIEWED BY:		HOLLY ELLINGWOOD

REVIEW:
The threat of Orochimaru has not passed. And even now he seeks to interfere and still destroy the Leaf Village. Jiraiya and Naruto’s task to find the great healing powered sannin Tsunade and have her become the Fifth Hokage is interrupted by Orochimaru. Wounded he is still lethal. Even his words could prove deadly when he offers Tsunade a deal she may not be able to refuse. He is the devil himself. His sinister offer plays heavily on the tragedy of Tsunade’s past, revealed in this box set. She is fleshed out wonderfully in these episodes, showing a complicated and strong woman who also has her weaknesses and vulnerabilities. That she can provide comedy at unexpected times with her gambling ways is a welcome surprise and her interactions with Jiraiya are entertaining highlights of the lighter fare the series interjects into the action and suspense of the story.

Rock Lee steals two episodes of this set. His fate may prove tragic. It was an incredibly moving two-parter and to be honest, I was never a Rock Lee fan. But the episode where he is told he may never be a ninja again is flooring. And the choice he must make is heart rending. The speech given by his sensei is poignant and the moment shared between student and sensei at such an emotional time is striking.

The box set ends on a tad lighter note with a mission by Squad Seven to help protect a competitor in a village race to see who will become the next ruler. But it isn’t anywhere near as simple as the mission at first seems. The runner in question has a grudge against all ninja and Naruto and his friends will have to find a way to overcome the boy’s past as well as the threat of those trying to kill him. Idate’s race turns into a deadly battle for Squad Seven when they fight the dangerous Aoi. It provides some dramatic scenes at the end and shows the team of Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura back together again after a long absence. But keep your eyes open during this time for hints as to where the next story arc is going. The ominous clues are there. 

The episodes on the last disc introduce new opening and ending theme songs; “Seishun Kyousoukyoku” by Sambomaster and “Mountain a Go Go Two” by Starydum” which each hold vivid animation. The high energy of Naruto is part of its attraction. However the human factor in the relationships throughout the series is what truly makes it an action worth all the high praise it receives.

EXTRAS:
Bonus features include trailers of other Viz titles, a production art gallery, From Sketch to Screen:  Storyboard Comparison of Episode 93, and a sneak peek at the ninth season box. This set also has a collectible Naruto Storyboards Sketchbook for episode 96. The book contains the complete storyboards for the episode for a total of just over 100 pages of black and white raw artwork with the original Japanese notes. This book is exclusive to this box set. The packaging itself is a striking dark lilac background with amethyst highlights. The inside is a fold-out featuring full color art work of the characters.

The limited edition of the eighth box set comes with a detailed figure of Tonton. The 4th of 6 collectible figurines featuring the summoning creatures and exclusive to the limited edition box sets of Naruto. These are hand painted figurines limited to 15,000!

IN SUMMARY:
Tsunade is well and truly established here in the Naruto series. The team of Sasuke and Naruto with Sakura is reunited, but a simple mission quickly turns complicated and shows the seeds of something far more nefarious brewing beneath the surface.