Starting with this episode, the series production officially switched to High-Definition (HD) for the remainder of its run.
By using page numbers from the first book of the Icha Icha Tactics series, Kakashi is forced to read specific excerpts aloud, much to his embarrassment. The deciphered message reads: "The real one is not among them" .
, titled "Decryption" (Japanese: Angō Kaidoku ), is a pivotal episode in the Six Paths of Pain Arc . It primarily focuses on the efforts to decode the final message left by Jiraiya following his battle with Pain. Episode Overview Original Airdate (Japan): April 8, 2010 English Airdate (US): January 8, 2013 Manga Adaptation: Adapts portions of Chapters 407–409. Key Plot Developments
Recognizing that Naruto needs more power to face Pain, Fukasaku invites him to Mount Myoboku to learn Sage Mode . Naruto accepts, driven by his desire to honor his late master and protect the village. Trivia and Production Notes
This revelation confirms Jiraiya's suspicion that none of the Six Paths of Pain is the actual Nagato; they are puppets being controlled from elsewhere.
The Konoha Cryptanalysis Team, led by Shikamaru, struggles to decipher the numbers Jiraiya wrote on Fukasaku's back. Naruto realizes that the first "9" is actually the Katakana character "ta" (タ) , a handwriting quirk he recognized from Jiraiya's "Icha Icha" (Makeout) novels.