Naruto Shippuden Episode 354: Their Own Paths
Filler/LOW
OSHIMETER
7.6
62 Fans
5
4
3
2
1
PacingVisualWritingEmo ImpactSoundtrack
OSHIMETER
7.6
62 Fans
5
4
3
2
1
PacingVisualWritingEmo ImpactSoundtrack
QUICK TAKES
giovanni
the way this clan just turns into smoke but then dies from a breeze is such a weird plot hole and it makes the whole drama feel kind of forced
ruto
Yukimi deserved better than being a blood donor for a snake freak and the pacing was way too fast for her to actually matter to the story
tengu_tempest_61
The animation felt a bit off in some of the forest scenes, but seeing Kakashi and Yamato team up was great. This whole Iburi clan thing feels like a typical filler plot that they just threw in to stretch the ANBU arc, but at least we got to see why Yamato cares so much about people despite his weird upbringing
fireblight_ganon
This filler arc started off strong, but it is starting to feel like every other random clan story where they just make up a weird power for the sake of it
sawyer
Yamato getting the name Tenzo makes his connection with Kakashi feel much more personal and that was really the only reason to watch this
luffy_legend_54
I actually felt for Yamato when he prioritized Yukimi over his orders because it showed he is becoming more than just a root tool
necrozma
It made me happy when Tenzo chose to act like a human and care about Yukimi instead of just following his mission like a drone
kirito_kensei
Orochimaru chasing children for blood is classic creepy stuff and seeing Kakashi use his brain to track him down was the only thing that saved this episode
chloe_344
seeing the iburi clan members just vanish in the wind was actually pretty sad because they spent their whole lives hiding and then just got deleted
king_engine_120
Okay, so the whole smoke turning into a tree to save Yukimi felt totally out of left field to me, but honestly, I was just so relieved she got away. Orochimaru treating her like a literal juice box for his experiments was just pure messed up, and it really makes you wonder how many other people he's done that to.
skull_kid
I totally didn't expect Kakashi to be such a genius tracker, honestly putting him up there with Shikamaru for me, but the way they sped through that dying clan's tragic story at the end just left me feeling kinda cheated. Like, come on, that deserved a slower, more emotional send-off, you know?
eri_359
Orochimaru's coldness as he just *erased* the entire Iburi clan for their bloodline powers really makes me wonder if he ever feels anything at all besides ambition; he's truly a monster. I genuinely gasped when Yukimi somehow made it out alive after that horrific harvest, thinking for sure she was a goner after seeing her whole family brutally sacrificed.
sapphire_321
I was honestly so touched seeing Yamato finally choose to protect someone because *he* wanted to, not just because it was his mission or he was ordered to. It felt like he was truly becoming his own person and breaking free from that "test subject" trauma, which I thought was a really important step for him.
brassius
Ugh, another random clan with some new power that I know for a fact we'll never see again after this episode; it makes me so antsy for the actual war arc to finally get back on track. I just want to see Naruto and the others dealing with Madara, not these side stories that feel like they're actively holding us back from the real action.
hoho_hurricane
Tenzo's past in those labs totally caught me off guard, making me feel so much for the guy. Seeing him defy orders to shield Yukimi really cemented my respect for him, proving he's got a heart despite everything those messed-up experiments put him through.
candice_corona
I was genuinely surprised to see Kakashi actually ditch his usual rule-following to help Yamato save Yukimi; it really made me think he's growing beyond just mission protocols. Seeing him prioritize a life over strict ninja code in this filler made it feel pretty worthwhile to me.
naofumi_naysayer_149
My stomach just twists for the Iburi clan; it's so wild to me how utterly they were played, believing in a power that only led to their complete destruction. I can't shake the feeling that they never truly stood a chance against such manipulation, just pawns in a much bigger, crueler game.
sophocles_343
Orochimaru's casual genocide of the Iburi clan in that flashback just cemented for me that he truly has no soul; I can't believe how easily he just extinguished an entire group of people. And seeing little Yamato desperately pounding on that glass, knowing what he went through, makes me wonder how he ever learned to trust anyone after such a horrific, isolating experience.
cilan_339
Yukimi somehow making it out alive after her family basically turned into a tree was a genuine surprise for me. I immediately worried about Yamato, and how much more loss he could possibly take after everything he's already endured with Orochimaru and his own search for where he belongs; it just felt like a small mercy for my dude not to have to go through another heartbreak.
zenitsu_zap
Introducing those mysterious smoke clans, only to have them gone in a flash, left me feeling pretty confused about the point. It just felt like a quick shortcut to tragedy, and honestly, I couldn't really invest emotionally in characters who appeared and disappeared so fast.
EPISODE CONTEXT
This episode sits mid-stream in the 'Kakashi's Anbu Arc: The Shinobi That Lives in the Darkness,' a filler arc that expands on Kakashi's past between major canon storylines. It follows directly from 'Orochimaru's Test Subject,' which dealt with the fallout of Orochimaru's experiments on Kinoe, and transitions into 'The Targeted Sharingan,' where the stakes around Kakashi's legacy escalate further. The arc as a whole serves as extended character development for Kakashi and his Anbu-era relationships, bridging canonical events with original material.
QUICK TAKES
giovanni
the way this clan just turns into smoke but then dies from a breeze is such a weird plot hole and it makes the whole drama feel kind of forced
ruto
Yukimi deserved better than being a blood donor for a snake freak and the pacing was way too fast for her to actually matter to the story
tengu_tempest_61
The animation felt a bit off in some of the forest scenes, but seeing Kakashi and Yamato team up was great. This whole Iburi clan thing feels like a typical filler plot that they just threw in to stretch the ANBU arc, but at least we got to see why Yamato cares so much about people despite his weird upbringing
fireblight_ganon
This filler arc started off strong, but it is starting to feel like every other random clan story where they just make up a weird power for the sake of it
sawyer
Yamato getting the name Tenzo makes his connection with Kakashi feel much more personal and that was really the only reason to watch this
luffy_legend_54
I actually felt for Yamato when he prioritized Yukimi over his orders because it showed he is becoming more than just a root tool
necrozma
It made me happy when Tenzo chose to act like a human and care about Yukimi instead of just following his mission like a drone
kirito_kensei
Orochimaru chasing children for blood is classic creepy stuff and seeing Kakashi use his brain to track him down was the only thing that saved this episode
chloe_344
seeing the iburi clan members just vanish in the wind was actually pretty sad because they spent their whole lives hiding and then just got deleted
king_engine_120
Okay, so the whole smoke turning into a tree to save Yukimi felt totally out of left field to me, but honestly, I was just so relieved she got away. Orochimaru treating her like a literal juice box for his experiments was just pure messed up, and it really makes you wonder how many other people he's done that to.
skull_kid
I totally didn't expect Kakashi to be such a genius tracker, honestly putting him up there with Shikamaru for me, but the way they sped through that dying clan's tragic story at the end just left me feeling kinda cheated. Like, come on, that deserved a slower, more emotional send-off, you know?
eri_359
Orochimaru's coldness as he just *erased* the entire Iburi clan for their bloodline powers really makes me wonder if he ever feels anything at all besides ambition; he's truly a monster. I genuinely gasped when Yukimi somehow made it out alive after that horrific harvest, thinking for sure she was a goner after seeing her whole family brutally sacrificed.
sapphire_321
I was honestly so touched seeing Yamato finally choose to protect someone because *he* wanted to, not just because it was his mission or he was ordered to. It felt like he was truly becoming his own person and breaking free from that "test subject" trauma, which I thought was a really important step for him.
brassius
Ugh, another random clan with some new power that I know for a fact we'll never see again after this episode; it makes me so antsy for the actual war arc to finally get back on track. I just want to see Naruto and the others dealing with Madara, not these side stories that feel like they're actively holding us back from the real action.
hoho_hurricane
Tenzo's past in those labs totally caught me off guard, making me feel so much for the guy. Seeing him defy orders to shield Yukimi really cemented my respect for him, proving he's got a heart despite everything those messed-up experiments put him through.
candice_corona
I was genuinely surprised to see Kakashi actually ditch his usual rule-following to help Yamato save Yukimi; it really made me think he's growing beyond just mission protocols. Seeing him prioritize a life over strict ninja code in this filler made it feel pretty worthwhile to me.
naofumi_naysayer_149
My stomach just twists for the Iburi clan; it's so wild to me how utterly they were played, believing in a power that only led to their complete destruction. I can't shake the feeling that they never truly stood a chance against such manipulation, just pawns in a much bigger, crueler game.
sophocles_343
Orochimaru's casual genocide of the Iburi clan in that flashback just cemented for me that he truly has no soul; I can't believe how easily he just extinguished an entire group of people. And seeing little Yamato desperately pounding on that glass, knowing what he went through, makes me wonder how he ever learned to trust anyone after such a horrific, isolating experience.
cilan_339
Yukimi somehow making it out alive after her family basically turned into a tree was a genuine surprise for me. I immediately worried about Yamato, and how much more loss he could possibly take after everything he's already endured with Orochimaru and his own search for where he belongs; it just felt like a small mercy for my dude not to have to go through another heartbreak.
zenitsu_zap
Introducing those mysterious smoke clans, only to have them gone in a flash, left me feeling pretty confused about the point. It just felt like a quick shortcut to tragedy, and honestly, I couldn't really invest emotionally in characters who appeared and disappeared so fast.
©岸本斉史 スコット／集英社・テレビ東京・ぴえろ
AnimeOshi.com refers to anime titles, character names, logos, and other trademarked or copyrighted materials to identify and describe the works being reviewed, discussed, ranked or otherwise referenced on this site. This usage is believed to be nominative fair use or non-infringing and is not intended to imply any affiliation with the respective rights holders.
All trademarks and copyrights remain the property of their owners. If you are a rights holder and have concerns about any content on this site, please contact us at legal@animeoshi.com