"Night of the Crescent Moon" (三日月の夜, Mikazuki no Yoru) is episode 308 of the Naruto: Shippūden anime.
Night of the Crescent Moon (三日月の夜, Mikazuki no Yoru) is episode 308 of the Naruto: Shippūden anime.
Yūgao thinks about the time she used to spar with Hayate, learning kenjutsu as she and the search party hunt for Hayate's team. When they find them, the sealing team quickly put an end to the actions of the other members of Hayate's team and continue over to Hayate. However, they are injured in the process on protecting Yūgao from Hayate's blow. After they retreat, Sakura and Yūgao tend to Iō and Yokaze's wounds and are told that they cannot carry on further. When Yūgao prepares to leave, Sakura stops and asks why she cannot fight anymore. Once Yūgao explained that carrying a sword only reminds of her Hayate's death, Sakura says that they had to fight because of the "unforgivable" technique that Kabuto used to wage the war and goes to retrieve the KIA scroll on her own. Sakura catches up to and engages Hayate who recognises her from the Chūnin Exams. She battles him and seems to be on even grounds with him until he uses the Transparent Escape Technique. He manages to cut her but it is revealed to be a substitution jutsu and Yūgao arrives soon after. Yūgao tells Sakura to fetch the sealing corps despite her offer to join the fight. The fight ensues during which Hayate commends Yūgao on her improvement in swordsmanship. During the fight, Kabuto senses the delay and tries to take over Hayate's consciousness, who seemingly pins Yūgao to a tree, but is saved by the efforts of Hayate to take back control and gets himself pierced by Yūgao's sword and falls. He is finally sealed and the mission to retrieve the KIA scroll becomes a success.