The animator for that sequence was the same as for the "Hokage Battle Royale" which also kicked a**. The show is always more...kinetic when he's up.
Things I like about Shippuden:
1: The first opening theme
2: The AU doujinshi during the second closing theme
3: Sakura no longer useless bystander in all fights
4: Naruto no longer falls for every genjutsu that's thrown at him
5: The two times Jiraia has been brought close to death
6: Temari and Shikamaru are sooo going to do it.
7: Iruka still looks like Bob Saget.
8: The battles (and let's be honest, at 37 episodes so far, there have basically been only two: Gaara vs. Deidara and Sasori vs. Sakura and Chiyo-baasama) have nevertheless been pretty epic.
All that, and this gif: