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Naruto Vol. 26: The Race Is On!
Score: 90%
Rating: Teen
Publisher: Viz Media
Region: 1
Media: DVD/1
Running Time: 88 Mins.
Genre: Anime/Action/TV Series
Audio: English Stereo
Subtitles: English

Features:
  • Episodes:
    1. Gotta See! Gotta Know! Kakashi Sensei's True Face!
    2. Mission: Help an Old Friend in the Land of Tea!
    3. The Race is On! Trouble on the High Seas!
    4. Run Idate Run! Nagi Island Awaits!

Naruto Vol. 26: The Race is On! starts up the last small story arc before Sasuke leaves the village and the story of Naruto takes a major turn. But before the arc that has Squad Seven helping a neighboring village in a power struggle, the squad members decide it is finally time to see what is under Kakashi's mask.

This ends up being one of those one-off episodes that don't really have any bearing on the rest of the series (especially since they don't ever see Kakashi's face), but is a fun distraction between major arcs. After that, Sasuke, Naruto and Sakura are sent to help The Land of Tea by playing bodyguard to a person who is about to run a race that will determine which major family will rule for the next cycle.

When the trio makes their way into the Land of Tea, they confront a kid who seems to have a grudge against shinobi, and after a minor confrontation, they realize that this boy, Idate, is going to be the runner that they have to protect. So the four characters will have to learn to work together in order to make sure Idate can run the race without being intercepted by the opposing team's own hired help, a few familiar faces from the Village Hidden in the Rain.

By the end of this volume, we will not only learn what Idate has against ninja, but also a bit about his past, the fact that he has a brother that we've already met, and that he and Naruto have very similar stories (not the whole evil demon spirit trapped inside him part, more to do with a person Idate thought was a mentor betraying him).

While this storyline doesn't end in this volume, it comes pretty close, so you will have to pick up Volume 27 to see how it ends, plus, you will get to see the beginnings of the fight between Naruto and Sasuke.



-J.R. Nip, GameVortex Communications
AKA Chris Meyer

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