Naruto: Shippuden season 5

Lore & Background

The fifth season of Naruto: Shippuden aired on TV Tokyo from December 2008 to June 2009, comprising episodes 89 through 112. It is known in Japanese DVD releases as the chapter of The Three-Tailed Demon Turtle. The story arc centers on Naruto Uzumaki and the Leaf Ninjas as they attempt to stop the Three-Tails and assist a boy named Yukimaru. The season uses five musical themes: two opening themes and three ending themes. The opening theme for episodes 89 to 102 is 'Closer' by Joe Inoue, replaced by 'Hotaru no Hikari' by Ikimono-gakari for episodes 103 to 112. The ending themes include 'Long Kiss Good Bye' by Halcali (episodes 89–90), 'Bacchikoi!!!' by Dev Parade (episodes 91–102), and 'Shinkokyū' by Super Beaver (episodes 103–112).

Reader's Guide

The fifth season of Naruto: Shippuden is significant as it adapts a self-contained arc from the manga's Part II, focusing on the Three-Tailed Beast and introducing the character Yukimaru. Its English-language broadcast history is notable for shifting across multiple networks: Disney XD aired episodes 89 to 98 from July 30 to November 5, 2011, before removing the show; Neon Alley premiered episode 99 onward from December 29, 2012 to January 7, 2013; and the complete season made its English television debut on Adult Swim's Toonami from November 15, 2015 to May 15, 2016. The season's home media releases include a six-volume Japanese DVD set by Aniplex, a Viz Media box set of the first twelve episodes, and a UK 2-disc set by Manga Entertainment combining episodes from the previous season. The season's musical themes, including 'Closer' and 'Hotaru no Hikari', contributed to its cultural footprint among fans.

Did You Know?

• The English dub aired on Disney XD only for episodes 89 to 98 before the show was removed from the schedule.
• The opening theme 'Hotaru no Hikari' by Ikimono-gakari was used for episodes 103 to 112.

Production & Narrative Premise

The inaugural season of Naruto: Shippuden adapts Part II of Masashi Kishimoto's manga into anime under the direction of Hayato Date, with production handled by the studio Pierrot in partnership with TV Tokyo. The story resumes two and a half years after the original Naruto anime concluded, finding Naruto Uzumaki and his teammates as teenagers embarking on a mission to rescue Gaara, who now serves as the Fifth Kazekage, from the criminal syndicate Akatsuki. The season ran on Japanese television from February through October 2007, setting the tone and stakes for the entire Shippuden arc. Its Japanese DVD release spanned eight discs distributed between August 1, 2007, and March 5, 2008, marketed under the title Kazekage Rescue (Kazekage Dakkan), a name that directly mirrors the season's central rescue plot.

Musical Identity & Thematic Soundtrack

The first season of Shippuden is distinguished by a rotating soundtrack of five distinct musical themes across its run. Two opening themes bookend the season: "Hero's Come Back!!" performed by Nobodyknows+ carries episodes one through twenty-nine, before "Distance" by Long Shot Party takes over for the remainder. The closing credits cycle through three songs in sequence — "Nagareboshi (Shooting Star)" by Home Made Kazoku for the first seventeen episodes, "Michi (To You All)" by Alüto for episodes eighteen through twenty-nine, and "Kimi Monogatari" (Your Story) by Little by Little for the final stretch. This layered approach gives the season a sense of musical evolution as the story progresses. Additionally, the season's connection to the franchise's first theatrical film, Naruto Shippuden the Movie (released August 4, 2007), is woven into the broadcast: episodes twenty-four through twenty-seven incorporated scenes from the film into both their opening and ending sequences while still preserving the original theme music underneath.

International Broadcast & Home Media Rollout

The season's journey to Western audiences unfolded across multiple platforms and regions over several years. In North America, Disney XD aired the full season from October 28, 2009, through April 21, 2010, followed by a later run on Adult Swim's Toonami block from January 5 to August 10, 2014. Home video distribution in the U.S. came in two formats: an eight-disc set released between September 29, 2009, and April 6, 2010 (with the final volume also carrying episodes from the second season), and a three-box collection from Viz spanning January 26 to August 3, 2010, where the third box similarly shared content with season two. In the United Kingdom, Manga Entertainment handled the release in three DVD volumes from June 14 to October 4, 2010, and later issued a comprehensive box containing the first fifty-two episodes on March 7, 2011. This staggered, multi-format rollout made the season accessible to a wide range of collectors and casual viewers alike.

Special Features & Film Crossover

Beyond the main broadcast episodes, the season's home media releases included bonus content that expanded the Shippuden universe. The seventh disc of the Japanese DVD set featured a special short titled "Hurricane! 'Konoha Academy' Chronicles" (Shippū! "Konoha Gakuen" Den), an animated piece derived from the series' second ending theme. This extra material gave fans a glimpse of an alternate, lighter setting tied to the Konoha Academy concept, offering a tonal contrast to the season's otherwise serious rescue narrative. The season also served as a promotional bridge to the franchise's first theatrical feature. When Naruto Shippuden the Movie hit Japanese screens on August 4, 2007, the broadcast versions of episodes twenty-four through twenty-seven embedded clips from the film directly into their opening and ending sequences. Notably, the original theme songs were retained during these segments, creating a hybrid experience where television and cinema content merged on screen without disrupting the musical identity of the show.