It's Christmas Day!
And even the Hidden Leaf Village...
...is having a big Christmas party!
Christmas is the Last Chance for Love!
Attention, everyone!
I'm sure you're all having a great time,
but let's all gather 'round for the gift exchange!
We've got the presents everyone brought piled high under the tree.
Who'll get what present?
It's time to get excited!
Here we go!
The gift exchange.
A Christmas party's greatest and strongest event.
The presents are the main reason people even come to the party.
And no matter what...
I'm taking home Sakura's present!
Those two always make such a big deal out of these things...
You're sick of it, too, right, Hinata?
Hinata?!
And no matter what...
Naruto's present...
...is coming with me!
Oh man. Hinata's possessed, too.
Neji, would you say something, please?
The gift exchange...
Whatever Naruto bought, it's surely meant for Sakura.
Not you, too!
If Hinata ends up with his present...
A pink heart-shaped cake...
This was meant for Sakura...
No!
I can't let that happen!
You're too powered up!
I've heard of helicopter parents, but a helicopter cousin?
I wonder if anyone brought barbecue...
Is food the only thing you and your big boned brain can think about?!
This is so troublesome. I wanna go home!
Then go!
Get outta here!
There's too many, I can't keep up!
Here are the rules.
Each team will compete in a survival race.
Each door leads to the present room.
In other words, all doors lead to the goal.
But the road is packed with obstacles and traps...
...that you'll have to find a way past.
Whoever gets there first can pick whichever gift they like.
Got it?
Let the Gift Exchange Survival Race begin!
Let's rumble, Bushy-Brows.
You're on, Naruto!
Sakura's present is all mine!
You wish! You won't beat me!
The teams have entered their doors!
We're gonna win this, Hinata!
We know what you're thinking.
Kiba... Shino...
Team Eight makes it to the first room!
What the...
The whole world's focused on Christmas,
but us single guys are left out in the cold.
Well, Christmas is mostly for the youngsters, eh, Chief Guy?
What say we knock back a few down by the station, Chief Kakashi?
Sounds like a plan!
We'll celebrate the only way single guys know how!
You three wanna come?
Oh, u-um...
Team Eight has been trapped by the strange...
...sense of camaraderie between the two old bachelors!
I should've known the traps would be like this.
Come on, Chief Kakashi.
Ms. Hyuga is still young.
She's probably spending the night with her boyfriend!
High pressure situation with a tinge of sexual harassment!
Hinata will have a hard time saying no now!
Chief Kakashi, Chief Guy...
Shino and I'll come with you.
Hinata needs to leave early.
Why? Because she's getting sick.
Leave them to us.
Go on ahead.
Kiba, Shino...
Thank you!
So noble, so moving!
This is what a Jump anime is all about!
Ah, and here is Team Ten.
But they're down one member?
What could've happened?
Hey, where's Choji?
Yeah, what happened?
40% off! All you can eat!
First ten customers only!
Chicken!
Choji's been snared by deep discount fried chicken!
That idiot. How could he fall for this!?
Go on ahead, Ino. I can't leave Choji behind.
How dramatic!
Well, it feels like it should be dramatic,
but something's off...
How troublesome...
He's in line now, too?!
You're not supposed to be this dumb!
Let's check in on Team Seven.
What the...
A lonely single man's apartment.
Playing games all alone on Christmas...
It's sad. It's too sad!
What should we do?
I-I'm scared...
They appear to be deliberating...
Right hand, red!
It seems they decided Sakura and Sai would...
...stay behind and keep him company.
Now I feel sorry for the two of them.
Team Three is lagging behind.
Have they been caught in a trap as well?
Come join me, you three.
Mr. Ichiraku Ramen guy, what's the matter?
You see...
My daughter said she's bringing her boyfriend home today.
I feel so awkward. I can't bring myself to go home!
Ah, it's so hard being a father!
A daughter's boyfriend is a difficult obstacle in life!
Why does the trap have to deal with an obstacle?
That won't do. Let me help.
We'll go together!
Lee, you don't have to go!
We've gotta keep moving.
That's so cold.
Imagine how you'd feel...
...if Hinata was bringing home a boyfriend.
Neji, let me introduce...
...my new boyfriend.
Let's drown our sorrows, pops!
Ah, so you'll keep me company?
Thanks!
Neji's imagination turns to a delusion.
He's about to be eliminated!
Lee, you birdbrain! Why'd you have to say that?!
No, no, no, choking, choking!
I'll deal with Mr. Teuchi and Neji. You keep going!
Right, sorry!
Team Ten's Ino is in the lead!
Hello?
Hey, it's me.
Sorry, but we're not gonna be able to make it.
Huh?
Choji's having abdominal pains.
You're gonna have to finish for us, 'kay?
This is exactly how people look when someone stands them up on Christmas.
No way...
I got stood up?!
Oh no! Ino's in shock from being stood up on Christmas!
Is this it for her?!
And here comes Hinata!
Yes...
I'll get Naruto's present!
Naruto isn't coming!
Hinata will spend Christmas Eve alone!
A silent night, as it were...
We're down to just Team Three's Lee and Team Seven's Naruto.
Now they must clear the final hurdle!
Ah, Rock and Uzumaki, perfect timing.
We need this paperwork done by tomorrow.
The end of the year's always a busy time for us.
Interns don't get Christmas off, sorry!
How cruel.
A mountain of unpaid overtime stands in front of Lee and Naruto!
What awful timing. But still...
We gotta get it done.
There's no end to it...
Christmas is pretty much over...
What happened to us?
Do you... wanna end it?
Bushy-Brows?
This Christmas.
A peaceful Christmas beats a competitive one any day.
Bushy-Brows...
What an incredible turn of events!
Unbelievable! A powerful friendship forms...
...between the two rivals, and they cross the finish line arm in arm!
You both come in first!
But what now? Who gets to pick first?
I'm satisfied with having finished the race.
It's all yours, Naruto.
Nah, you can have it, Bushy-Brows.
You can both pick at the same time.
If you want the same one, just play rock-paper-scissors.
Pick a present, gentlemen.
Okay...
Um, let's see...
Wait a sec.
Which one is—
It was then they both realized they had no idea which present was from Sakura.
In the end, Lee and Naruto got each other's presents.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
Thank you for watching our show all year, loyal viewers!
All that's left for the Leaf is to get the yearly cleanup done.
Today, you're all going out to clean up the year's worth...
...of dirt and clutter that's built up in the village.
A year's worth of dirt?
I see.
Over this show's run, you've caused so much chaos.
Thrown the schedule into chaos,
inconvenienced the staff and cast...
It's time to wipe the slate clean and start over.
That's the problem?
You just want to sweep everything under the rug, don't you?!
Cleanup is a Chance to Wash Away the Past!
We're assigned to clean up
the storehouse in the western part of the village.
To be perfectly honest, I'd rather be training.
Quit complaining.
Wanna get some soba after we finish this?
Good idea!
After that we can go listen to the temple bells ring in the new year.
Okay, I'll ask Ino, too.
Let's get all our cleaning done quickly!
Suddenly Lee seems really motivated.
He overheard Naruto and Sakura talking about going out for soba.
Well, isn't he confident.
What're you lolly gagging for?
Keep slacking off and I'll be cleaning you up, Neji.
That's not the kind of cleaner you're supposed to be.
And what hitman are you supposed to be anyway?
We need to finish cleaning as quickly as possible!
Then...
What're you imagining?!
Spending New Year's Eve with Sakura...
It's one thing to have an ulterior motive,
but you're going way too far!
Ah, this is bad.
If we keep joking around,
I'll miss the soba and the singing, too!
Let's speed this up!
Leaf Great Whirlwind!
What are you doing?!
Fore!
We're not golfing!
Now what?
All those important documents got blown away.
I'm sorry. I'll go pick them all up.
All by yourself?
I'll be fine!
Finding a bunch of papers...
...is a lot easier than tracking down the seven balls that grant your wish!
You're really pushing it now.
We're stuck doing cleanup because you keep pulling stunts like this!
Papers, papers...
Hinata? What's up?
Oh, Lee.
I was just about to mail a New Year's card...
...when there was a big gust of wind.
Along with a bunch of documents.
O-Oh, really?
W-Well, I need to go.
I-I really wanted to send that card..
It was so important to me.
A-All right.
I'll help you look for it.
What's this?
Happy New Year, Naruto.
Thanks for everything you've done for me this year.
I hope next year we can grow close.
Grow closer, grow closer—
Go close...
Closed stir...
Right, it doesn't say grow closer,
but to go with a closed stir when he makes instant ramen...
S-So he doesn't... get burned...
Hinata's embarrassment reaches its limits. She's down!
Hinata, stay with me!
Ah, Lady Tsunade!
Hinata just fainted!
Something wrong?
Well...
I won a prize in the lottery,
and I was feeling great when a gust of wind blew through,
and swept my ticket away.
Since it's December 31st,
it would have been my first and last win of the year.
Where'd that wind come from, anyway?
A-All right, I see.
Take care of Hinata, please!
I've gotta find it so I can have Soba with Sakura!
What a disaster...
Mr. Ichiraku Ramen? What's the matter?
Well...
This huge gust of wind blew over all my ramen deliveries!
How are we having hurricane force winds at the end of December?
I'm gonna have to make a whole new batch of ramen,
and believe me I had a lot to deliver.
What am I gonna do?
Lousy freak wind gust...
All right, I see! I'll do something!
Tenten, what's the status?
What do you think? So much got broken...
And where on earth did Lee go?
And what's he been doing this whole time?
He hasn't helped clean one bit.
Five ramens going out!
Be right back!
Thanks, Lee!
I'm back!
Next we've got a chashu and four tanmens!
Be right back!
My New Year's soba dinner with Sakura...
Where could Lee be?
Hey, all the papers got picked up.
New Year's soba for us, please!
That's Naruto.
Hold on, Naruto, I haven't decided yet!
I'll have the barbecue soba.
That dish doesn't exist!
I wonder if they'd be willing to wait for Lee.
I'd feel bad asking everyone to wait on our account.
Oh, I know just the way to do it!
What is it?
Remember our sushi test?
Sushi...
Oh yeah, episode 27!
The episode doesn't matter.
I mean, if we create an environment where everyone...
...feels bad about eating, they won't be able to order.
How do we do that?
We've endured a whole year of being in Lee's skits,
I think we can work something out.
Will you hurry up and pick something?
Quiet! I'm still trying to decide between the curry udon and the hot-pot udon!
You're supposed to eat soba on New Year's, remember?
Excuse me...
One hot soba, please.
But, Sis, I wanted tempura soba!
Now, now, you know we can't afford that.
We should be grateful we get to eat soba at all on New Year's Eve.
Don't get greedy.
Okay...
Hot soba it is!
We'll have to share it, but you'll be okay, right?
Nice, Tenten!
They'll all be thinking...
I can't stop crying!
Soba sounds delicious...
I can't bring myself to order either udon dish!
Let's wait for those kids to finish before we order...
And so on!
Heck yeah!
You two...
Here we go!
Tenten, Neji, what are you guys doing?
H-He recognized us...
We, um...
Actually...
It's so late.
Sakura, Tenten, Neji, and the others have surely eaten their soba by now.
Aren't you people done yet?
I need to close up shop!
My daughter is... Tenten is still eating!
How many hours does it take to eat one plate of soba?!
Now out, out!
Tenten, Neji, Naruto...
Everyone!
Wow. You mean you all...
We all waited, yes, so you'd better appreciate it!
In the end we didn't get any soba, though.
Don't sweat it.
We'll go after the first.
Um...
Does it absolutely have to be soba?
Huh?
You all should've come here in the first place!
Lee really saved my hide earlier!
These are all on the house!
Hooray!
Keep watching in 2013, everyone!
Happy New Year's!
It's great to be done cleaning.
It really feels like we've washed away the shame and regrets of the past.
Yeah, I feel ready to take on the next year!
Yup, and I'm resolving to turn things around...
...and become a straight man character—
Next week is "A New Year's Escape Clause!"
A New Year's Escape Clause! Naruto Under Surveillance!
and "Naruto Under Surveillance!"
Looks like you're the main character in that one, Neji.
Here's to another year of shame and regret!
No!