Naruto the Movie: Guardians of the Crescent Moon Kingdom

Michiru uses his wealth to buy the circus because he believes money can solve everything and buy friendship. This materialistic approach is exactly what his ex-wife Amayo criticizes - she refuses to reconcile with him because he doesn't understand what truly matters. The purchase establishes Michiru's character flaw that he must overcome by the end of the film.

The circus purchase directly sets up the final battle, as Chamū and Kiki later help Naruto and Hikaru defeat the villains.

Shabadaba, as the greedy minister to King Kakeru, stages the coup to seize power and control the incredibly prosperous Land of the Moon for himself. He hires three mercenary ninjas, led by Ishidate, to back his takeover. The coup succeeds while Michiru and Hikaru are away, forcing the king to send his son on a voyage to keep him safe.

Ishidate's mysterious gauntlet has the ability to petrify anything it touches - specifically, it turns the lower body of its victims to stone. This is how he wounds King Kakeru during the assault on the mountain refuge. The petrification is permanent and cannot be healed by normal medical ninjutsu like Sakura's techniques, because it must be treated immediately after being inflicted.

Ishidate uses this same power throughout the film, eventually petrifying Naruto's leg and even Shabadaba himself.

Naruto accesses the Nine-Tails chakra when his companions are in immediate danger during the failed escape attempt from the mountain refuge. After Korega is petrified and killed, and Michiru is captured by Shabadaba's forces, Naruto's resolve hardens and he taps into the Nine-Tails' power to protect Hikaru and the remaining group. This moment marks a turning point where Naruto commits fully to rescuing Michiru.

Sakura cannot heal Kakeru's petrification because the wound must be treated immediately after it happens - the stone curse becomes permanent very quickly. When Ishidate's gauntlet turns Kakeru's lower body to stone, Sakura arrives too late to reverse the effect. This is why the petrification is treated as a mortal wound rather than a treatable injury.

The Land of the Moon is named for its powerful moonlight, which becomes key to defeating Ishidate. During the climactic battle, Michiru and Hikaru lift Naruto so he can channel the moonlight through his Rasengan. The moonlight enhances the attack's power, allowing Naruto to overwhelm Ishidate and Shabadaba when their defenses are down due to being distracted by Chamū and Kiki.

Ishidate petrifies Shabadaba when the minister tries to force him to kill Michiru first, even after Shabadaba ordered Ishidate to kill everyone. This act of betrayal shows that Ishidate values the contract more than Shabadaba's changing orders. Shabadaba's attempt to control Ishidate backfires, leaving him vulnerable to the very mercenary he hired.

Hikaru starts the journey as a spoiled, materialistic prince who mimics his father's wealth-focused worldview. Through his interactions with Naruto and the circus animals, particularly after Naruto helps him befriend Chamū and Kiki during the storm, Hikaru learns that true friendship comes from genuine connection, not wealth. By the final battle, he risks his life to help Naruto and expresses gratitude for the lesson learned.

Korega, one of the loyal guards to King Kakeru, leads the group to safety at the mountain refuge and helps them escape during the assault. However, the mercenaries unleash a reflex-weakening poison that weakens the group. During the failed escape attempt, Ishidate's gauntlet petrifies Korega and he is killed. His death motivates Naruto to tap into the Nine-Tails power and commit to rescuing Michiru.

Michiru hints at reconciling with his ex-wife Amayo because his journey with Naruto has taught him what truly matters - genuine connections and relationships rather than material wealth. When Amayo refused to reconcile at the port, she criticized his materialism. After experiencing the loyalty of true friends like Naruto and witnessing Hikaru's growth, Michiru finally understands her perspective and wants to rebuild their relationship based on different values.

King Kakeru sent Michiru and Hikaru on the worldwide voyage specifically to keep them safe from the coup he knew was being planned. The loyal guards, including Korega, were part of this protection plan. While Michiru and Hikaru were away, Shabadaba executed his coup and wounded Kakeru. The team of Naruto, Kakashi, Sakura, and Rock Lee was assigned this mission by their village to escort the royal family back safely.

Shabadaba hires three mercenary ninjas to support his coup: Ishidate, Karenbana, and Kongō. Ishidate is the leader and wields the powerful petrification gauntlet. Karenbana and Kongō serve as his underlings, fighting Sakura and Rock Lee during the palace assault. These mercenaries provide the military strength for Shabadaba to overthrow the king and seize control of the Land of the Moon.