Dear viewers, do you believe in miracles?
You hit the jackpot in a lottery?!
Group 25 138472
Looks like Lady Luck's finally changed her opinion of me!
Now, I've decided to reward you three for training so hard day in and day out...
...by treating you to whatever you want!
What'll it be?
Really?
Hmm, what should we get?
Oh!
I want to go out for sushi, but sit at the bar!
Eating at the bar...
That's the first step to becoming an adult!
My First Five-Star Sushi!
The sushi bar...
A place where countless men have taken their families and girlfriends to eat,
and found a battlefield where the line between life and death is razor thin!
What kind of narrative is that?
Sushi Alliance
That's way more dramatic than whatever RPG you're thinking of.
Sushi Bar
But with Lady Tsunade treating us,
we can circumvent the danger and reach our sushi unharmed!
Tomorrow we stuff ourselves silly!
Yahoo!
What's up, Bushy-Brows?
Sakura!
Oh, so get this...
And what of the beneficiary of today's miracle?
Bank
138472
128472
I can't believe I had the wrong number!
That's so stupid!
This isn't supposed to be a gag anime!
Um, that's exactly what this is.
Then I went and promised to take them out to eat...
I can't believe you had the wrong number.
That's so stupid!
What a hackneyed plot.
Some Hokage you are.
I'll tarnish the title of Hokage!
Wait!
It'd be better if we brought everyone along and made a party of it.
Let's just do conveyor belt sushi! Who's with me?
I think I can handle a conveyor belt place.
Lady Tsunade.
About us eating at the sushi bar.
O-Oh, good timing.
I think it'd be better if we brought everyone along and made a party of it.
Indeed!
So I went ahead and invited Naruto's group.
All of us sitting at the bar...
Whoo, let's party!
Yay!
Er, uh―
A cretin! I'm a brainless cretin!
The previous Hokages must be rolling in their graves!
Lady Tsunade, is everything all right?
I see.
I promised them. I can't back out now.
I need to think of a way to trick them...
...without doing any more damage to my reputation.
Aren't they a little young to be sitting at the bar anyways?
That's it, Lady Tsunade!
I've got a way to preserve your honor as Hokage,
and make them forget about eating sushi at a five-star restaurant,
all at once!
Leave it to me and Kakashi!
Huh? And Kakashi?
The day of...
I can't wait.
Well, Guy sure turned out to be unreliable.
We're just heading straight for the restaurant!
Hold it!
We've heard tell that you're planning on stuffing yourselves at a fancy sushi bar.
Y-Yes...
What about it?
You're too young to sit at the bar!
Much too young!
Listen here!
Back during the Leaf's economic bubble,
all the young leaf ninjas were living it up,
eating fancy sushi right at the bar.
Then the bubble burst and their spendthrift ways caught up with them.
Wait, what economic bubble are you talking about?
The only bubbles here are in your brain!
It's a war zone that swallows young ninjas whole!
I can't believe you can swallow your own story.
When you all grow up to be strong-willed ninjas,
who aren't swayed by temptation,
then, and only then, may you sit at the bar!
Guy may be exaggerating, but he does have a point.
Not you, too, Kakashi Sensei.
Perhaps we are a bit young.
But our will is absolutely unshakable!
Then let's put it to the test.
Test?
Okay, everyone.
You're about to undergo the most grueling of tests:
Sit at the bar, order what you want, eat, and leave.
Succeed, and we'll acknowledge you as adult ninjas.
We just have to sit at the bar and eat?
That's right.
Please, this'll be a cake walk!
Yes! We'll all pass!
I'll go first.
I'm going to eat that salmon roe no matter what!
Welcome!
Huh? What the―
You're late, Haruno.
Have a seat.
Oh, right.
What'll it be?
Let's see... Squid, octopus, and gizzard shad.
Same for you, miss?
Go ahead.
Um... sure.
Here's your squid, octopus and gizzard shad.
Oh, uh, I―
Sakura!
I get it.
A young employee would never order...
...something expensive when her boss was treating.
So this what adults go through.
If your spirit wavers,
you miss your chance to eat what you really want.
That's what it means to have a strong will?!
Now we know what to expect.
I'm going on the offensive!
Welcome!
You're late, Konohamaru.
Get me some salmon roe!
Here ya go.
Mine, mine, mine!
Too much wasabi!
That idiot.
He forgot to say "hold the wasabi."
Being unable to handle wasabi is a fatal weakness.
Being drawn into these skits is our fatal weakness!
Well, I've got a plan to get me some fatty tuna!
Byakugan!
Good idea! Now he can see if there's wasabi inside!
He could just ask them to hold it.
Okay, Pops, I'll―
Hmm, I'd like...
Sea urchin, botan shrimp, your fattiest tuna, and a caterpillar roll.
How about you, Neji honey?
What?!
That's the most expensive stuff on the menu!
It comes out to...
What'll it be, sir?
Pops...
Yeah?
A cucumber roll.
Ah, when your girlfriend suddenly orders a pricey meal,
you can't help but start obsessing over the cost,
and you end up ordering something cheap to balance it out.
Super-Eyebrows Sensei knows some scary tactics.
Not as scary as Neji being impressionable enough...
...to fall for Guy Sensei playing his girlfriend!
That's it, I'm going.
I'm a girl, so money's no object!
Hello!
Flounder, please!
Flounder, comin' up.
Momma!
I wanna try flounder!
No way!
Kids eat kids sushi.
Have an egg or salad roll.
One flounder.
What?
Somehow I feel really bad eating this!
The sushi bar is riddled with unforeseen traps.
They can set all the traps they want.
If the whole counter's filled up, it doesn't matter!
Okay, Pops, one tuna―
Counter-punch!
What a flawless counter-punch!
He just backed them into a corner...
Only one left.
Do you see now that you're not ready to sit at the bar?
Maybe it is too soon for us...
Conveyor belt sushi is plenty for you all right now.
Conveyor belt sushi...
...revolves! Eureka!
What'll you have, Lee?
I'd like... lean tuna, please.
Great...
Leaf Hurricane!
Wh-What's he doing?
He's just like...
A sushi conveyor belt rotating around the interstate!
Yes.
I just need to approach this like I'd approach a conveyor belt place.
This is the way to stop wavering and impose my will!
Thank you, conveyor belt sushi.
Farewell, sushi bar.
What the heck just happened?!
And he's not saying goodbye!
Well, they got one past us.
We lose.
No.
I learned something when I used the Great Leaf Hurricane.
I'm more comfortable at a conveyor belt sushi place right now.
I'll hold off on sitting at the sushi bar until I'm truly an adult.
Lee...
Well, I'd be happy to treat you all to that!
Yay!
And so, Lee and his pals swore they'd make it to the bar someday.
Conveyor Belt Sushi
Amberjack Salmon Roe Lean Tuna Medium Tuna Fatty Tuna Sea Urchin
But...
Their appetites more than made up for the price difference.
Why me?
It's the end of another beautiful fall afternoon.
Guy Sensei really put us through the wringer today.
What should we do now?
I dunno...
Enjoy the cool breeze and relax with a good book?
There's no breeze on earth cool enough to make that relaxing!
I mean, jeez, you don't have to act like Guy Sensei when you're reading, too!
No, Guy Sensei is my hero, and I want to be just like him as fast as possible―
Hey, look.
Iruka Sensei!
It's been a while.
Oh...
It's you three.
Friendship, Effort, and Victory!
You can't teach?!
Yes... Once a week I teach the lower grades.
Example image
Most of them are very spoiled,
refuse to listen to a word I say,
Just an example
and have zero interest in trying to work together.
Seriously just an example
Example image
If I scold them, they start crying,
and then I have to deal with their parents.
Excuse me!
How dare you speak to my darling child like that?!
Ah ha, that's what they call "intimidator parents," right?
So close, and yet so far...
There's going to be an open house.
If I lose control of them, I'll get in trouble,
but I can't yell at the kids, either.
Just thinking about it gives me a headache.
I see.
Why don't we come in like last time,
and give them a hot-blooded lesson in friendship, effort, and victory!
That just looks like a lesson in the themes of Shonen Jump!
These kids have been raised to do whatever they please.
They couldn't care less about friendship and effort.
"Victory" is the only word they like.
What am I going to do?
They don't care about friendship or effort...
You wouldn't get along with them, Lee.
But I like victory, too.
Yeah, victory!
Huh?
The kids in this class already like the concept of winning, right?
We just need to use that...
...as a foundation for teaching them the joys of teamwork, and effort!
I follow your logic, but how do we go about it?
Well...
Want to go ask Guy Sensei?
Guy Sensei...
We can use him!
Then, on the day of the open house...
Humming Seville
As I was saying, this―
What is going on here?
This lesson isn't challenging my smart, little sweet pea.
I'm going to the board!
Kill me...
What's wrong?!
Iruka Sensei!
We're under attack by bad guys!
Bad guys?
Everyone stay calm!
Us bad guy underlings are here...
...to steal all your lunches!
We're just underlings, but don't try and stop us!
How troublesome...
Wait a sec...
Sensei, do something!
Protect my little sweet pea!
I'm going to the board!
W-W-Wait a―
That's enough!
Let us, the Leaf Strawman Rangers, handle this!
The Leaf Strawman Rangers?
Let me explain.
The Strawman Rangers are an elite squadron of warriors...
...who teach children the value of friendship and effort...
...in their quest for justice, and victory!
Why am I narrating?
What are you doing?
Let me explain.
Bushy-Brows asked us to help him with a hero skit...
...to teach your class the value of effort and friendship.
Why do you have to do a hero skit again?
Let me explain.
Stop narrating!
We use Guy Sensei!
Guy Sensei?
We use him as our example and become heroes like him!
It's an immutable fact that children look up to heroes.
If we become heroes, they'll learn to appreciate friendship and effort for sure!
So leave this to us.
O-Okay...
Good luck, Lee.
Everyone transform!
Show them the power of our perfectly synchronized teamwork!
You're off, you're all off!
Transform! Make-up! Go!
Change! Switch!
Put forth some effort to getting in sync!
Red Ranger!
On the scene!
The one time you match and it's the color?!
I get to be red.
No, I do.
I wanna do it!
It doesn't matter who's red. Just get on with it.
Hey, Lee.
Why am I pink?
Why not?
Because it's weird, that's why!
Who cares?!
This is our only spare costume.
Red Ranger!
It's all reds!
They all want to be the leader.
They've got too much freedom!
Let me explain.
The Strawman Rangers...
...are a group of spoiled warriors who obtained their powers without...
...undergoing any trials or hardships.
What kind of background is that?!
What happened to the effort and friendship?
This is no good.
Finally, we're back on track.
We don't have a Yellow Ranger!
Not again!
Hey, Yellow Rangers always love curry, Bushy-Brows.
No way, I'm red.
Good lord, fine...
Does anyone here really like curry?
What is this, a public audition?!
I do.
Choji, you're the bad guy!
On the scene!
Why did the enemy change sides?!
Let me explain.
Because the Strawman Rangers are happy to accept random people as their friend.
Which totally cheapens the friendship between you all.
This is so troublesome.
Have no fear!
The Strawman Rangers will protect everyone!
Leave it to us!
You're just protecting Sakura!
Yeah, we gotta defend the class!
Then get to work!
Get serious!
They won't learn anything about effort or friendship at this rate!
Don't worry.
If we fight back with teamwork,
the kids are sure to understand its value!
You can't escape.
Yeah, but now you seem like the bad guys!
Go!
Strawman...
Kick!
Troubles-argh!
Shikamaru, you're weak!
Let me explain.
The Strawman Rangers gang up on the weak bad guy underlings to defeat them.
That was the most pointless narration ever!
It's not over. The bad guys' boss must be nearby.
Oh no!
We forgot to decide who would play the boss!
What're we gonna do, Lee?!
Only one way out...
M-Me?
Why is your ally suddenly the enemy boss?!
Next time, on Strawman Rangers!
Betrayal, Part 1.
Next Time: Betrayal, Part 1.
See you next episode!
You can't just end the skit now!
This is getting out of hand, Bushy-Brows.
We're losing our audience.
What awful lessons they're teaching!
This is a bad influence on my little sweet pea!
I'm absolutely going to the board!
Please, at least teach the kids the difference between good and evil.
Understood.
The root of all evil...
The source of all our problems is...
It's...
...you!
The true bad guys, the Monster Parents!
A mother who flies into an uncontrollable rage...
...is scarier than any boss.
Yeah, that makes perfect sense.
You guys...
Team Super!
Knock it...
...off!
Cool!
That was so cool!
Well, it was a crazy class...
I doubt the kids learned anything.
Iruka Sensei...
We learned something important today.
We can't always let our kids run free.
Sometimes, they need discipline.
We were in the wrong.
Ladies...
Setup and Punchline
Thus, thanks to Lee's group,
The students of the ninja academy started to like a new word.
In addition to "victory," they learned the value of...
"Punchlines!"
This feels wrong...
Next week is "Hunting for Matsutake Mushrooms!"
Hunting for Matsutake Mushrooms! Lee and Neji Part Ways!
and "Lee and Neji Part Ways!"
Part ways?
I could've seen that coming.
But... Lee and Neji might argue sometimes,
but when push comes to shove,
they respect each other as rivals!
What did I say earlier?
Next time, on Strawman Rangers:
Betrayal, Part 1.
That was the preview?
Wait, the Strawman Rangers aren't coming back!