Blackjack612's Review of Naruto 572: 9 Names

[blackjack612]

Welcome all to my review of this week's chapter of Naruto. Before we unpack the significant revelations contained therein, let's go over the results of the still in progress poll from the Naruto 571 review. I've mentioned a few times now that I don't think Tobi will wind up being the Big Bad, the final villain that our heroes must overcome before the series ends. I asked the readers who they thought would make it to the end, and at the moment, Tobi has a one point lead over everyone else while Sasuke and Orochimaru are tied for second place. Personally, I'm hoping for Orochimaru to make a comeback so that he can settle the score with Itachi and/or Sasuke. Now, for the chapter review...

Blackjack 612's Review of Naruto 572: 9 Names
As always, images in this review are credited to mangastream/binktopia.

9 Names picks up where last we left off. Naruto, in bijū mode, has fired a Tailed-Beast Ball to deflect the combination Tailed-Beast Ball created by Tobi's five tailed-beasts. Naruto's attack is aimed low. It hits the ground first then bounces up and into the tailed-beasts' attack, sending both high into the sky. The resulting explosion is huge, yet far enough away so that our heroes remain relatively unharmed. Naruto uses the debris from the explosion as a smokescreen for his own counterattack. Kurama's tails turn into hands and grab at the stakes on each beast's neck.

Just as Naruto prepares to pull all the stakes out in one go, he enters a dimension accessible only to jinchuriki who have syncronized with their tailed-beasts. Here me meets Yugito and Matatabi (the Two-Tails)), Yagura and Isobu (the Three-Tails), Han and Kokuou (the Five-Tails), Utakata and Saiken (the Six-Tails), and fu and Choumez (the Seven-Tails). They've all gathered to uphold a promise made to Son Goku and Rōoshi to reveal their names to their names to the jinchuriki destined to unite the tailed-beasts once more and lead them down the better path that the Sage was unable to. Naruto is welcomed to this dimension inside of the tailed-beasts minds by Yagura who acts as representative for beasts and jinchuriki alike. It takes a while for Yagura to get Naruto's attention because Naruto turns sympathy for such a scrawny, young-looking jinchuriki (Yagura) into a tangent about having never kissed a girl. When he does get Naruto's attention again, they discuss what Son Goku gathered them for.

The chapter then features two flashbacks. In the first, Son Goku is disappearing as he's being sucked back into Gedo Mazo. Before Son leaves, Rōoshi postulates that each of the jinchuriki had the option of walking down the same path as Naruto. Perhaps inspired by Naruto's affect on Son Goku, Rōoshi shares a moment with his tailed-beast and reveals that he never once forgot Goku's name. Then the two disappear. Back in the present, each of the tailed-beasts and jinchuriki tells Naruto his or her name and they entrust some of their chakra with him as Son Goku did.

The second flashback is from Kurama's point of view from before he met Kushina, Mito, Hashirama, or Madara … back when Kurama and the rest of the tailed-beasts were cubs. The Sage tells the cubs that even separated they'll always be together and one day they'll become one form once someone comes along who can lead them down the 'right path', something the Sage was unable to do. He entrusts this knowledge to the cubs because he doesn't have long to live, and in the present, each of the beasts is thinking the same thing: Naruto is the man the Sage spoke of.

Naruto removes the stakes, releasing them from Tobi's total control, so Tobi seals the beasts back into Gedo Mazo. Though surprised that Naruto can completely control Kurama, Tobi believes that the outcome of the battle will be the same. The chapter ends with Naruto disagreeing. Nothing's the same. Naruto's perfected the jutsu he's been trying to master since the war began and now it's not just the human species relying on him. With the tailed-beasts out of commission, does Tobi have what it takes to capture Naruto and B?

Artistically, this was a characteristically solid outing. Though nothing struck me as above and beyond the usual, there was also nothing to complain about and the chapter showcased Kishimoto's diverse artistic strengths. We had great character design work this week, first with Kurama who looked especially terrifying strangling the tailed beasts, then with the tailed beasts in their younger, cuddlier days. Of course, the action was great too. That's something I say a lot and usually I follow up by praising flow of action or a visually inventive jutsu. But I don't spend enough time pointing out that Kishimoto really knows how to draw an explosion. When a series spends as much times as Naruto does on blowing things up and excessive amounts of terrain destruction, it helps if the artists can do so stylishly. Almost 600 chapters in, and I can't recall Kishimoto framing an explosion quite like the one on the first page. My favorite panel of the chapter, though, is the scene below which is just wonderfully composed.

This was an entertaining chapter that continued to push the plot closer towards a climax and included a few revelations.

1. Naruto isn't the hero of the story bringing peace to all he can because he's special. He's special because he takes the oppurtunity to reach out with a helpful hand to those he can. Other jinchuriki have had that oppurtunity and failed to see past their own desires with the exception of Killer B. And perhaps Yagura, but it's unclear whether he could control Isobu so well through his own power and link with the beast or by genjutsu as a proxy for Tobi.
2. The Sage, despite his lofty ideals, was not perfect by his own admission. He recognized near the end of his life that there was something he was able to provide for the tailed-beasts. Later, his inability to understand how his elder son would react to being passed over as heir apparent would lead to a bloody conflict that's still ongoing. It's also worth noting that this is the only flashback to the Sage told from the point of view from someone who personally knew him. Tobi's earlier tale is what's been left behind as history.
3. Kurama isn't a pure mass of hatred. In that flashback he seems concerned by what the Sage tells him and later remembers the old man with some warmth.

All said, Naruto 572: 9 Names was a wonderful chapter which is why it gets a ...

5 out of 5.

Predictions

I stand by my prediction that Tobi loses this fight. Even if Naruto exhausts bijū mode, he's still got sage mode to fight with which he was able to stop the Rinnegan with once already. The only differences now are that Tobi is fighting with one body instead of six and that Tobi also possesses a Sharingan. The former gives our heroes an advantage since they outnumber him four (highly skilled ninja) to one, all of whom have had experience against the Six Path powers. The latter isn't too much of a concern because Naruto has Kakashi there to counter Tobi's sharingan if need be. What do you guys think? Does Tobi have any plausible techniques left up his sleeves? Can even Izanagi help against an MS user, the Eighth gate, and two shinobi who've fully subjugated their tailed beasts?

Again, my long term predictions about where things are headed that can be found here. Thanks for sticking around. See you next week shinobi...

Stray Observations

• The Eight-Tails name is Gyuuki.
• The most understated way to tell your loved ones you're dying: "I won't be here much longer."
• "It's been too long...old man."
• "Things have changed..."

One Line Reviews

• One Piece: Promising, but I'm not sure where they're going with the new arc. Will Big Mom be the next threat or will the Straw Hats tangle with the marines?
• Air Gear: The latest chapter is an improvement on the preceding few, but Sora's flashback is going to have to be phenomenal to salvage the missteps that began this final battle.
• Gantz: Things aren't looking good for our heroes, but then they never do. However, this chapter hints at a couple of the main characters being forced by circumstance to grow up and move passed their own selfish desires.
• Tower of God: It's back! Part 2 Prologue's been scanned. I'm always on bored for more ToG, and the continuation promises more intrigue and more focus on the world of the Tower.

[badluckartist]

Nice review. Although I don't think Naruto's bijuudama hit the ground first. He just shot it at the underside of the edo-jinchuuriki's combined bijuudama. If it hit the ground I doubt it would've bounced up :P

Also, "Lucky Seven Choumei" FTW

[blackjack612]

Nice review. Although I don't think Naruto's bijuudama hit the ground first. He just shot it at the underside of the edo-jinchuuriki's combined bijuudama. If it hit the ground I doubt it would've bounced up :P

Also, "Lucky Seven Choumei" FTW

Just noticed that I spelled his name wrong in the review and poll . Oh well. Maybe you're right about the bijuudama and Naruto just that precise with his aiming.

[Wint]

A solid review, as always.
Now I know what some people think: "Will the ten-tails be reborn in Naruto"?
I think not, for two reasons: 1) It's just 'some' of their chakra, and 2) Shukaku wasn't there ^_^

My predictions: Gai will die. Sage mode or not, I believe that without Kurama's chakra, Naruto doesn't stand a chance against Tobi, who once stated that Kakashi's Kamui won't work on him.
That leaves Gai and his eighth gate.

I also hope that Naruto won't become some lame reincarnation of Rikudo, and especially in terms of bloodline limit. Yes, I'm talking about the rinnegan here. The tailed beasts implied that Naruto is 'Old Man's...' something.
It may sound crazy, but seeing Kishimoto doing THAT much drugs, everything is possible.

[mattiaildivino]

great review,my friend . really great,I didn't realize that naruto used the debris to hide his attack

[blackjack612]

My predictions: Gai will die. Sage mode or not, I believe that without Kurama's chakra, Naruto doesn't stand a chance against Tobi, who once stated that Kakashi's Kamui won't work on him.
That leaves Gai and his eighth gate.

I also hope that Naruto won't become some lame reincarnation of Rikudo, and especially in terms of bloodline limit. Yes, I'm talking about the rinnegan here. The tailed beasts implied that Naruto is 'Old Man's...' something.
It may sound crazy, but seeing Kishimoto doing THAT much drugs, everything is possible.

Guy, Kakashi, B, and Naruto are all pretty good at taijutsu so they have the upper hand from numbers alone. And a space-time jutsu like Kamui won't work on Tobi who's a skilled space-time jutsu user himself, but regular ninjutsu are effective against Tobi while he's materialized. So bijuu mode Naruto has two advantages. He's really fast which as Minato showed is useful in countering Tobi's techniques. Naruto can also do a ton of damage while in that mode if the allies can aim for that critical moment Tobi needs to materialize in order for his own attacks to land.

[mattiaildivino]

I've voted Son Goku,because it's a tribute to DRAGON BALL,as the OOZARU (4tails' shape) and his jin (Roshi,MUTENROSHI). personally I don't like the name "Kurama",nor do I names as "gyuki,isobu and kokuo" and above all, "choumei" sounds too much as a chinese name imo,whose sound isn't one of my favourite