Naruto Shippuden Episode 34

[Buffalobiian]

Was he really competing against the Third? DB's subs say that he lead a party that was against the Third's policies, making him something like our opposition leader, but it doesn't say he was in anyway strong enough to compete for the title Hokage. Shikamaru shows his wit again, he didn't waste any time. While it looked like they were observing Naruto's fight, he sent out his shadow to assist.

I didn't notice Sai's clothing much at all really. It's mostly in the ED that I tend to, and even then it's not making an impact anymore. This pissing Naruto off part, it's just as when Team Kakashi first started out, only difference being Sakura was drooling over Sasuke.

[Assertn]

What? Shizune's a tool now? She's the main disciple of the Hokage. I think that is a pretty decent accomplishment in of itself. Besides, Sakura also holds respect and obedience towards Tsunade, so its not just Shizune.

I think the real tools are those two chuunin that always get stuck doing bitch work like carrying boxes around or sitting and watching the main Konoha entrance.

Edit: Was it just me, or did it seem like a few major points about Danzou had been left out of the anime?

[Kraco]

What? Shizune's a tool now? She's the main disciple of the Hokage. I think that is a pretty decent accomplishment in of itself. Besides, Sakura also holds respect and obedience towards Tsunade, so its not just Shizune

Shizune has been following Tsunade since forever. During all those lousy gambling years. So, you could say she has beem tying her destiny to that of Tsunade no matter what she did. Thus, you can say she's a genuine minion.

Sakura, however, is not tied to Tsunade in that sense. She's just learning medical skills from her. Other than that she's like any other chuunin around: Doing missions, living her own life, belonging to a team (that does not contain Tsunade).

And those comedic paper carrying chuunin are even less connected to her. They are regular Konoha ninja who happen to be assigned to such a work. No doubt it's only a temporary period of their career.

[Buffalobiian]

Are we mixing up "tool" here with "follower/student/disciple"? I'm taking tool here to mean someone who's being used, without using the other person in return. The latter case is called co-operation. Sakura may indeed belong to her own team, but I would imagine her life in the past 2.5 years to be training and serving Tsunade, much as Shizune might have done earlier in her life. Only now her job is closer to that of an attendant, and given her relationship with Tsunade (you can call it her uncle's fiancee if you ignore the master/disciple one), and we haven't been told of any other family members, it's only natural that she follow her around, and assist/criticize her not unlike how a sibling would.

edit: tool implies that the person is a pawn. Used for a greater purpose, and completely dispensable. The "master" of that tool most likely has no emotional connections to he/her, and feels no shame in using that person to do whatever task the master desires. I don't think this quite fits the Tsunade/Shizune scenario.

Haku could have indeed be considered a classic example of a tool, if it wasn't for the last part where Zabuto cries, though he indeed didn't feel any shame when he was USING him, it was only after his death and some Naruto-talk that he felt guilty/moved.

edit 2: or maybe the three sound ninjas Orochimaru used in the Chuunin exam. I doubt he had any feelings for them really.