Blue Bird (ブルーバード, Burū Bādo), performed by Ikimono-Gakari, was the third opening for Naruto: Shippūden. It replaced Distance and ran from episode 54 up until episode 77 before being replaced by Closer.
Lyrics
Rōmaji
Habataitara modorenai to itte
Mezashita no wa aoi aoi ano sora
Kanashimi wa mada oboerarezu
Setsunasa wa ima tsukami hajimeta
Anata e to idaku kono kanjou mo
Ima kotoba ni kawatteku
Michi naru sekai no yume kara mezamete
Kono hane wo hiroge tobi datsu
Habataitara modorenai to itte
Mezashita no wa aoi aoi ano sora
Tsuki nuketara mitsukaru to shitte
Furikiru hodo
Aoi aoi ano sora
Aoi aoi ano sora
Aoi aoi ano sora
English
You said that if you could fly,
You would never come down
You only have eyes
For the blue, blue sky
You've yet to learn what sadness is
And are now just grasping what pain is like
Even the feelings I have for you
Must be expressed in words
As you awake from a dream into an unknown world
Spread your wings and take flight!
You say if you could fly, you’d never come back down
You only have eyes for that blue, blue sky
You know if you can just make it through, you’ll find what you seek
So keep trying to break free
To that blue, blue sky
To that blue, blue sky
To that blue, blue sky
Rōmaji (Full Version)
Habataitara modoranai to itte
Mezashita no wa aoi aoi ano sora
Kanashimi wa mada oboerarezu
Setsunasa wa ima tsukami hajimeta
Anata e to idaku kono kanjou mo
Ima kotoba ni kawatteku
Michinaru sekai no yume kara mezamete
Kono hane wo hiroge tobitatsu
Habataitara modorenai to itte
Mezashita no wa shiroi shiroi ano kumo
Tsuki nuketara mitsukaru to shitte
Furikiru hodo
Aoi aoi ano sora
Aoi aoi ano sora
Aoi aoi ano sora
Aisou tsukita you na oto de
Sabireta furui mado wa kowareta
Miakita kago wa hora soteteiku
Furikaeru koto wa mou nai
Takanaru kodou ni kokyuu wo azukete
kono mada wo kette tobitatsu
Kakedashitara te ni dekiru to itte
izanau no wa tooi tooi ano koe
mabushi sugita anata no te mo nigitte
motomeru hodo aoi aoi ano sora
ochite iku to wakatteita
soredemo hikari wo oi tsuduketeiku yo
Habataitara modoranai to itte
sagashita no wa shiroi shiroi ano kumo
tsukinuketara mitsukaru to shitte
furikiru hodo aoi aoi ano sora
aoi aoi ano sora
aoi aoi ano sora
Opening Sypnosis
Flashbacks are shown of Naruto's tragic failure to stop Sasuke in the previous season, the Sasuke and Sai Arc after meeting him again after two-and-a-half-years. A blue bird flies through the screen and the logo is shown. Naruto appears hurdling down through the sky dazed. An image of Sasuke is shown in a blue background while Naruto's becomes red. A worried Sakura is shown in a green background after. Allies from Konohagakure are shown then the still free-falling Naruto flips and summersaults through the sky forming the Shadow Clone hand-sign snapping out of his apparent trance. Fūka, Fuen, and Fudo use some of their skills while Asuma and Kazuma are seen clashing. Naruto and Sora appear with the Fourth Hokage and Kurama are in the background. The Akatsuki appears and so does Sasuke alone. Naruto then arises from a river in which he landed from his fall and picks up a leaf in the water.
Characters
The characters in order of appearance:
- Sasuke Uchiha
- Naruto Uzumaki
- Sakura Haruno
- Shikamaru Nara
- Chōji Akimichi
- Ino Yamanaka
- Yamato
- Sai
- Kurenai Yūhi
- Asuma Sarutobi
- Kakashi Hatake
- Jiraiya
- Tsunade
- Iruka Umino
- Fūka (First Version)
- Fudō (First Version)
- Fuen (First Version)
- Sora (First Version)
- Minato Namikaze (First Version)
- Kazuma (First Version)
- Izumo Kamizuki (Second Version)
- Kotetsu Hagane (Second Version)
- Pain
- Konan
- Hidan
- Kakuzu
- Tobi
- Deidara
- Itachi Uchiha
- Kisame Hoshigaki
- Zetsu
- Orochimaru
- Kabuto Yakushi
- Hinata Hyūga (Movie Version)
- Amaru (Movie Version)
- Shinnō (Movie Version)
- Neji Hyūga (Movie Version)
- Yamato (Movie Version)
- Zero-Tails (Movie Version)
- Shino Aburame (Movie Version)
Trivia
- In order to promote Naruto Shippūden 2: Bonds, the broadcast versions of episodes 70-73 include scenes from the movie in the opening themes, while still retaining the original music.
- This is the first opening to be transmitted in High Definition.