Let's be real for a second. If you were scouring the internet back in 2007 for any scrap of Shippuden content, you probably remember the absolute fever pitch surrounding Naruto Shippuden the Movie Naruto. It was a weird time for the fandom. The original series had ended on a mountain of filler, and we were all desperate to see the "older" versions of our favorite Team 7 members in a high-stakes cinematic setting.
It actually delivered. Sort of.
Watching it now feels like a warm, nostalgic hug mixed with a bit of "wait, did they really do that?" It was the first time we saw Naruto Uzumaki in his black-and-orange tracksuit on the big screen, and the stakes felt massive because, well, the movie literally starts with Naruto's death. Talk about a hook.
The Prediction That Defined Naruto Shippuden the Movie Naruto
The plot centers on a priestess named Shion. She’s got this eerie ability to see the future, and her track record is 100%. If she sees you die, you’re toast. Naturally, she sees Naruto getting impaled by a stone monster.
Most of the runtime is spent with Naruto being his usual stubborn self, screaming about how he’s going to "change fate." It’s classic Naruto. But the nuance here is in Shion’s isolation. She’s basically the "Naruto" of her own land—shunned because of her powers—which creates this genuine connection between them that doesn't feel as forced as some other movie-exclusive friendships.
The villain, Moryo, is your standard "I want to destroy the world because I'm evil" demon, but his design is actually pretty cool. He's this dark, purple mass of chakra that controls an army of stone soldiers. If you’ve played any of the Ultimate Ninja Storm games, you might recognize the influence these designs had on later boss battles.
Why the Animation Still Holds Up (Mostly)
Studio Pierrot didn't slack off here. Masayuki Kouda and the animation team brought a fluidity to the fight scenes that the weekly TV anime just couldn't match at the time. There’s a specific sequence early on where the stone army attacks, and the way the puppets move is genuinely unsettling.
You’ve got Lee using the Drunken Fist (briefly), Neji being a tactical genius, and Sakura actually getting some decent moments before she was sidelined in later arcs. The hand-drawn effects for the Rasengan—specifically the "Super Naruto Rasengan" used at the end—have a weight to them that modern CGI struggles to replicate.
It’s tactile. You feel the impact.
Dealing With the Timeline Headache
Honestly, trying to fit Naruto Shippuden the Movie Naruto into the official canon is a nightmare. It’s basically impossible.
The movie was released in Japan around the time the Kazekage Rescue arc was wrapping up in the anime. However, the power levels are all over the place. Naruto uses a specialized Rasengan that never appears again, and the team dynamics suggest it happens early on, yet Sasuke is nowhere to be found.
It’s best to treat it as a high-budget "What If?" story. If you try to map it to the manga chapters, your brain will melt. Just enjoy the ride for what it is: a standalone adventure that lets the side characters breathe for a minute.
What Most People Get Wrong About the "Death" Hook
Marketing for this movie was genius. They leaned hard into the "Naruto Dies" angle. Trailers showed the funeral, the mourning friends, and the grave.
Did he actually die?
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Well, technically, Shion’s vision does come true, but Naruto finds a loophole involving a bell Shion gave him. It’s a bit of a "deus ex machina," but it works within the logic of the movie. The real value isn't the fake-out death; it's the thematic exploration of whether our lives are pre-written. Naruto’s refusal to accept a "scripted" ending mirrors his struggle with the Hyuga clan's destiny ideas back in the Chunin Exams.
It’s consistent character writing, which is rare for anime movies.
Breaking Down the Soundtrack
Takanashi Yasuharu is a legend for a reason. The score for this movie is haunting. He blends traditional Japanese instruments with this heavy, grinding rock and orchestral swell that makes the Moryo threat feel ancient and oppressive.
The ending theme, "Lie-Lie-Lie" by DJ Ozma, is... an interesting choice. It’s very 2007. It’s catchy as hell, but it definitely shifts the mood from "epic ninja battle" to "early 2000s J-pop party" real quick.
Actionable Takeaways for a 2026 Rewatch
If you’re planning to dive back into Naruto Shippuden the Movie Naruto, here is how to get the most out of it without getting bogged down by the dated elements.
- Skip the Canon Debate: Don't try to figure out if this happens before or after Hidan and Kakuzu. It doesn't matter. Watch it as a standalone piece of folklore.
- Watch the Sub: While the Maile Flanagan dub is iconic, the Japanese voice acting for Shion (Ayumi Fujimura) captures the character's coldness and eventual thawing much more effectively.
- Pay Attention to Neji: Since we know how Neji’s story ends in the main series, seeing him as the team leader in this movie is bittersweet. It’s one of the few times he actually feels like the genius he was hyped up to be.
- Look for the Easter Eggs: There are several small cameos and background details that reference the early Shippuden world-building.
The movie isn't perfect. The pacing in the middle drags a bit when they're traveling through the forest, and some of the dialogue about "fate" gets repetitive. But as a piece of Naruto history, it’s essential. It set the template for all the Shippuden movies that followed—right up until The Last, which finally made the movies canon.
Final Insight: If you want to experience the peak of the 2000s anime movie aesthetic, this is it. It’s loud, it’s emotional, and it features a version of Naruto that is at his most idealistic and unyielding. It’s a reminder of why we fell in love with the loudmouth ninja in the first place.