Some viewers felt the art lacked detail compared to Episode 127.

While mostly flashback-heavy, the transitions between the war-torn Amegakure and the peaceful Konoha are effective.

Reviewers from FanVerse noted that the art style in 128 felt slightly "bland" and "underwhelming" compared to the high-quality animation of the preceding episode.

Picking up where the previous episode left off, this chapter focuses on Jiraiya's time training the three Amegakure orphans—Yahiko, Nagato, and Konan.