The next episode of "Naruto Shippuden" will cover chapters 694 to 698 of the 700-chapter manga, ushering the anime to its inevitable end.
Naruto and Sasuke's battle has begun in the previous episode. In the manga, fans will remember that this moment in the story covered multiple chapters as the friendly rivals fight to the death.
None of them wants to lose the bout, and losing for Naruto will mean his death and the death of everything and everyone he loves. Sasuke must be stopped, and this is what Naruto will make sure of in "Naruto Shippuden" episode 476.
The anime is currently on a two-week break as the next episode after this short gap will be one-hour long. This suggests that fans will enjoy the experience of Sasuke and Naruto's seemingly neverending battle.
It is expected that "Naruto Shippuden" episode 476 will pay homage to the comics, not only in terms of the pacing of the battle between Naruto and Sasuke but also by recreating the feel of the manga.
The promo for the episode was in black and white, the first of its kind as far as the history of "Naruto Shippuden" goes. It is believed that this will be the format of the episode, although some believe that it is just a tease so fans that will be more excited about the actual animation.
Studio Pierrot earned flak from fans for sloppy animation in some episodes of the series. The company is reportedly taking that to heart and decided to give "Naruto Shippuden" episode 476 and the episodes that will follow the best visuals fans have ever seen in the anime.
While it is close to the end, episode 476, which is counted as two installments, will not mark the conclusion of the anime just yet. Three more episodes are expected to follow it.
Counting the 200 episodes from the original series, the whole "Naruto" anime is poised to end after 700 episodes, much like its source material, which was told in 700 chapters. Interestingly, although "Naruto Shippuden" episode 476 will cover five chapters, the one after it will only cover chapter 699.
"Naruto Shippuden" is also expected to feature the "Naruto" books that are set years after the final chapter of the manga. The stories to be depicted include the ones involving Shikamaru, the Hidden Leaf Village, and Sasuke.
