54화: 나루토가 악몽에서 깨어나고 사이는 도서관 조언을 통해 우정을 쌓으려 시도한다.

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Naruto has a nightmare about his Version 2 form wreaking havoc, causing him to wake up and question his dream. Sai is in the Konoha Library reading books on how to create and forge friendships. Naruto is sitting on some steps, musing over Sasuke's remarks about giving himself over to Orochimaru if it ensured exacting his vengeance upon Itachi. Sai remembers an excerpt from the library book that explained how friends use nicknames to sustain a friendship. He asks Sakura and Naruto if he may enter their conversation, surprising them. Wanting to create nicknames for the two, Sai is unable to find the correct words and is told by Sakura to use personality traits as a basis. After checking Sakura out, which causes her to blush, he smiles and calls her ugly. As they visit Kakashi in the hospital, Naruto attempts to tell Kakashi that they met Sasuke, but Kakashi tells them that he already knows as Yamato had debriefed him. Naruto and Sakura remark that Sasuke has gotten exceedingly strong, Kakashi states that the team would simply have to get stronger, especially Naruto. When Naruto inquires about the strategy, Kakashi tells him that the two of them will be creating a brand new, unique ninjutsu technique more powerful than the Rasengan that only he would be able to use. At the barbecue lunch, Ino notices Sai and develops an infatuation on him. Shikamaru privately tells Naruto that Tsunade had informed him about his encounter with Sasuke, and now that the Chunin Exams were over, he would be free to tag along the next time. At the Hospital Asuma states that word of Akatsuki's activities has increased outside of the village, and due to their hunt for tailed beasts, it would only be a matter of time before they reached Konoha. At the restaurant, Sai, wanting to create a nickname realizes that certain words are not acceptable to use as nicknames, and after his incident with Sakura, believes that women do not like to be called what they look like; instead, he chooses to refer to women as the opposite of what they are. After looking at Ino, he decides to call her beautiful. Outside the village, two grave robbers ransack graves, only to claim that they haven't found whom they're looking for. (Source: Wikipedia) Twelve Guardian Ninja arc: (1/18)