Bushy Brow's Pledge: Undying Love and Protection

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Bushy Brow's Pledge: Undying Love and Protection
Premiere date:	30 April 2003
Episode Length:	24.5 minutes
Episode Code:	031
Episode Airdate:	30 April 2003 31 October 2006
Manga Arc:	Chūnin Exam

Bushy Brow's Pledge: Undying Love and Protection (Japanese: 激まゆプラトニック！僕は死ぬまでアナタを守る!!, - Geki mayu puratonikku! Boku wa shinu made anata o mamoru!!) is episode 31 of the anime series Naruto. The episode's storyline is from the Chūnin Exam manga arc.

[edit] Plot

There is a replay of the epilogue of episode 30 in the aftermath of Anko trying to confront Orochimaru. He tells her he found someone who's far more talented than she is and he will seek out Orochimaru's power.

Elsewhere, Team Guy is resting. Neji muses that they had spent the day gathering food and water and now that it was night many teams were resting; aka, a perfect time to seek out scrolls. They decided to split up and look on the promise of reporting back to that spot (punctuated with a kunai in the ground).

In the aftermath of their horrible battle against Orochimaru, Sakura managed to get Naruto and Sasuke, both still unconscious, to a cubby hole in the root of a tree. She soaks pieces of cloth with her water and applies it to Sasuke's head, implying he has a fever. His sleep seems very disturbed as well. Sakura knows that she has to watch out for them, but she's very exhausted from the battle and ends up drifting off. She has a dream that Sasuke and Naruto wake up and they thank her for watching over them. But in the background she notices Orochimaru and after making a comment about prey running away does his Kusanagi no Tsurugi. Sasuke and Naruto talk to each other, oblivious of the danger, and Sakura cannot warn them. The snake bites down on Sasuke, just as Sakura wakes up. She notices that it's morning but suddenly hears a rustling in the bushes. She panics until she sees a tiny squirrel. The squirrel starts running towards her but she throws a kunai at it, causing it to run away.

The Sound Ninja are watching all this and Zaku wonders if Sakura saw the Explosion Note on the squirrel. Dosu thinks that there's something else involved and says they need to get closer.

Meanwhile, Lee is hopping from branch to branch and he notices 20 leaves floating to the ground. He challenges himself to catch all the leaves before they hit the ground and that Sakura will love him if he does (kind of like she loves me, she loves me not' with flowers). He springs down and manages to catch 19 leaves when he notices the squirrel from earlier and the Explosion Note about to ignite on its back. He abandons his challenge and rips the note from its back in time, wondering who would do such a thing.

Neji is out looking and he announces someone to come out. Team 10 had hidden from Neji and wonder how he could tell they were there. Ino announces that Operation 1, Run and Hide, failed and that they need to switch to Operation 2. Choji wonders if it's really come to that and Ino says it's necessary, while Shikamaru feebly protests it. But Operation 2 gets underway with Team 10 running out of the bushes like fangirls, harping about how great Neji is and if they can get an autograph. Ino takes down her hair and talks to Neji seductively, but Neji isn't at all interested and walks away. Ino pumps her fists angrily and Neji asks if she wants to fight. She fearfully says no and Neji calls them cowards, saying that taking a scroll from them would be demeaning. Shikamaru muses that Neji wouldn't take a scroll from them unless they picked the fight. Ino announces that they'll find a weak group to ambush, but Shikamaru says they're the weakest group.

Sakura is still struggling to stay awake when the Sound ninja finally approach. Dosu tells her to wake Sasuke up for a fight but Sakura readies herself. She talks about Orochimaru and demands to know about the mark on his neck. The Sound team is genuinely surprised by this turn of events, since their mission is to kill Sasuke. Zaku is about to hop in and fight Sakura, but Dosu stops him. He uncovers a trap Sakura had laid out, musing this was why she scared off the squirrel. The Sound team jumps in to kill her, but Sakura sets off another trap in the form of a giant swinging log. Though it took them by surprise, Dosu easily demolishes it and they still lunge at Sakura with Dosu saying Sakura has no talent.

But because they're focused on Sakura they don't notice Lee's approach. He jumps in and does his Leaf Hurricane on all three of them. He formally introduces himself as the handsome devil of the Konoha village, with the squirrel perched on his shoulder. Sakura asks why he helped her and he repeats his vow to always protect her, though they are supposed to be enemies. Sakura thanks him and Lee's overcome with joy. Dosu gives Zaku the scroll and instructs him to kill Sasuke before going to take on Lee.

Ino is fuming about not finding any weak teams and Shikamaru replies that they're the weakest behind Naruto's team. Ino fumes about how strong Sasuke is, making Shikamaru annoyed. Choji, who's eating up in a tree, sees what's going on with Team 7, Lee, and the Sound Ninja and tells them Sasuke's out and Sakura's fighting.

The rest of Team Guy has reported back to their spot except Lee. Tenten voices her concerns on the matter, saying Lee's never late. Neji says they have to look for him and they set out. Neji starts remembering back to their training how Lee mastered their Lotus jutsu before Tenten and himself, and how Guy warned him that it was now a forbidden jutsu because of what it does to the body. This jutsu is explained in more detail in the third test, when Lee fights Gaara.

However, Lee starts unwinding his tape while silently apologizing to Guy. Dosu and him engage, but Lee gains the upper hand and performs the Primary Lotus on him. Unfortunately, at the last minute Zaku punches the dirt which throws up a cushion for Dosu. Dosu gets up, unharmed, and resumes the fight. Lee however is physically weak after doing the Primary Lotus, leaving him open for attacks.

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