- Joined
- Dec 18, 2008
- Messages
- 1,156
- Reaction score
- 1,363
- Gender
- Male
- Country
-
I got the chance to do a review this week (have actually been up through most of the night waiting for the chapter) so I'm once again gonna take it. I don't know that I'll be able to do one next week, so I'll just knock this one out while I can. Once again, I think I'll bypass my chalkboard format and just do it old-school. But, as always, I hope the content carries the review.
Lastly, I'm not one for dedicating reviews or anything, so I'll just say this. Yesterday, the world lost one of its biggest music stars, and irrespective of his faults and shortcomings he was a person who touched lives around the entire world. So, my prayers go out to his family, especially his children, and I hope God comforts them in this time. RIP Michael Jackson. Music was never the same after you appeared, and it may never be matched again.
Lesson 1: Into the Depths of Fail
This week's chapter is chock full of yummy, fangasm-inducing fanservice, and it definitely started from the color pages this week. We started off seeing Taka still heading towards Konoha, only to be intercepted by Madara. Now, to digress slightly, it is interesting that in this chapter Madara's warp originated from his eye hole, with the rest of his body slowly fading in. The 1TrueSensei believes this is Kishi's way of affirming that this space-time jutsu is indeed Sharingan based.
As Madara suddenly appears in front of the team, the most telling reaction is from Karin who says his chakra suddenly appeared out of nowhere. So, instead of searching through the entire forest for the team, he found them right off the bat. "Is it time for another crack theory from the 1TrueSensei?" the class asks? Yes. Yes it is.
Madara had Sasuke's body to himself (pervs take from that sentence what you will
) for an unknown amount of time after his fight with Itachi. If it was within Madara's plans to ultimately use Sasuke for his purposes, then it also makes sense that he would develop a definite way to keep tabs on him. It is entirely possible that, with his skill with space-time jutsus, he put a seal on Sasuke's Sharingan or even on his body that will allow him to find him no matter where he might be. In a way, a higher level of Minato's jutsu. But I digress yet again, and I'll try to stop all these tangents lol.
In true Uchiha Sasuke style he fearlessly tells Madara that his team no longer has any need for Akatsuki. Seriously dude? You're talking back to a guy who could've, at any time, soloed your entire clan without breaking a sweat? Your balls are bigger than your brain, sir. But oh, it gets better later on in the chapter.
Sasuke finally finds out that he'd been rickroll'd by Killerbee, and upon being requested by Madara to undergo another mission to make up for their failure, he attacks Madara. The guy he swiped a sword through, yet remained unharmed. The guy who was probably the only one besides Sasuke to escape an Amaterasu unharmed without external help. If the 1TrueSensei could facepalm his face through his palm, he'd do so right now. *tries, and gets a bloody nose* Dammit, Sasuke. Look at what you do to me...
As the Fail-dori passes through Madara, he casually informs Sasuke that going to Konoha is pointless clarifying later on that it has been destroyed. His face in the first panel of page 8 is a far cry from what I was hoping to see when he saw the destruction of Konoha with his own eyes, but I suppose it'll have to do.
When Karin asks what Madara means, Zetsu coincidentally shows up (methinks that him and Madara had the timing of this little encounter planned out beforehand) to inform the group that Danzou had been selected as the new Hokage. And just to clarify, Madara "reminds" Sasuke that Danzou is one of the elders who put out the hit on the Uchiha clan. As if Sasuke didn't already know the name of the person he was pursuing. I tell you, if the ring he's leading Sasuke by the nose by was any more obvious, we'd be hearing Sasuke "moo" everytime someone mentioned Konoha. What? The joke was unfunny? Well screw you too *runs away crying* lol. Madara gives him the Cliff's Notes about how his actions and how Pein's general insanity have drawn too much attention to Akatsuki, giving rise to the Kage Summit (KS from this point forward; the 1TS is a big fan of abbreviations
), and Zetsu begins to give them the detailed version as the chapter cuts away.
Lesson 2: The Difference in Growth
Back in Konoha, we get back to Omoi and Karui as they still try to grill Team 7 for info on Sasuke. Uh oh, time for another random theory! How exactly did Team Kumo know to search for Naruto and Sakura? Who would've told them that they were Sasuke's former teammates and where to find them? I see Danzou's hand in this. He knows how Naruto and Sakura would likely react to being grilled about Sasuke, and what better way would there be to remove Naruto as a threat than to arrest him for attacking delegates from Kumogakure? The 1TrueSensei thinks that Danzou definitely put Naruto and Sakura in Kumo's path as another potential way to neutralize Naruto. Dang it, I did it again didn't I? I is slightly ashamed...lol
Anyway, we see the immediate difference in the maturity levels of Naruto and Sakura in their reactions to the news that Sasuke has joined Akatsuki. When Karui asks Sakura what Sasuke is to her anyway, she begins to break down in tears while Naruto takes the news calmly, though sadly. Karui makes a point that though she has as much of a right to cry over Killerbee and Yugito, she isn't, emphasizing what seems to be the beginning of the contrast between her and Sakura shown on the cover page.
Though they received the official info on Sasuke from Konoha, Kumo still chased down Naruto and Sakura because of their relationship with their sensei. In classic Kishi style the words they tell Naruto about not being able to sit around and wait and getting revenge for their master are a near perfect echo of Naruto's words after hearing of Jiraiya's death. Naruto is immediately able to relate to them on their level, especially after telling them that he's a jinchuuriki exactly like Killerbee. He tells them that AK keeps their hosts alive for a time, meaning there would still be a chance to save him. Naruto offers to help them search for their master, telling Sakura that he'll take care of things.
What I love so much about this exchange is that it shows just how much Naruto's mindset has changed since Jiraiya's death. Just a year ago, the situation would've have escalated, probably coming to serious blows between the two teams. But Jiraiya's death in addition to Nagato's harsh education have made Naruto an infinitely more sympathetic person to other people. He always had that trait, but now it's been enhanced to the point that he may be able to relate to anybody now, and not just those who are like him in some way. It shows his maturation towards being a true leader, and it shows the difference between his maturity level and that of Sakura's or even Sasuke's.
In Sakura's case, it's understandable why she broke down at the news of Sasuke's betrayal in every sense of the word. Joining Akatsuki has not only joining the organization responsible for Konoha's destruction, and the group responsible for Tsunade's coma, but also the group largely responsible for making Naruto's life so painful. In addition to this Sakura has yet to undergo her own maturation arc like Naruto has, or arguably, even Sasuke. She has yet to develop her own core of inner strength and conviction like Naruto, or dogged determination, no matter how displaced, that Sasuke has as a result of losing so much so early in life. She is the most immature of the three, and I'm thinking that something in her interactions with Karui will help her mature in the near future. At least, I certainly hope so. And Kishi, where is her genjutsu, dangit?!
Lesson 3: The Best Laid Plans...
Back in the forest, a somewhat skeptical Suigetsu is asking whether Naruto truly defeated Pein, and Zetsu affirms it, saying that Naruto is probably stronger than Sasuke at that point in time. Sasuke says he doesn't care, preferring to focus on the problem that will be the five Kages (Lies! The 1TS can smell the deceit and jealousy from here!). On a more serious note, it's very likely that Sasuke doesn't care. He doesn't see him and Naruto crossing paths in the near future anymore so as far as he's concerned it's an unnecessary detail to him. Plus, unless Zetsu informed Taka about Naruto's senjutsu abilities, Sasuke very likely believes that Naruto's strength is that of the Kyuubi, something that Sasuke can handle now that he has the MS. Either way, Naruto is a non-factor to Sasuke currently, with his single-minded goal being to find a way to touch Danzou.
Suigetsu suggests going after Danzou at the summit, and Karin gives him the stinkeye the idiotic idea deserves:
'Tis a sad, sad say when Karin is the smartest member of Taka, but apparentally that day has arrived as Sasuke fully agrees with Suigetsu to go to the summit to assassinate Danzou (SleepyFans did get this trans wrong by saying they would go after all the Kages. I love you and all SF, but dammit...). You can practically hear Madara saying, "Excellent" a la Montgomery Burns as he hears Sasuke's change of plans, and we see Karin's inner thoughts to how complicated the whole situation is becoming.
Strangely enough, I can now see Karin being the first to jump ship if s*** hits the fan, which it undoubtedly will sometime in the near future. Her inner fangirl is strong, but her common sense seems to be stronger. And, above all, she seems to be a survivor who looks out for her own best interests. I actually kinda hope Kishi does decide to do this, if for no other reason than to see the effect is has on Sasuke. But I digress once again...
Zetsu volunteers to lead Taka to the Summit (this guy knows everything; we don't even know where the summit is going down yet) and in a panel that is equally creepy and awesome (a combo that Kishi seems to do quite well, quite often) he splits into his two halves. Down the freakin' middle *shudders* The slightly more curious side of the 1TS also wonder if, since he split clean down the middle, exactly what else was split in half *shudders even harder* Yeah, s*** just got creepier...
As Taka follows Caucasian Zetsu, Juugo speaks for the first time, asking Sasuke if they can trust Zetsu, and by extension, Madara. Sasuke places full faith in the jutsu that has yet to kill anyone, Amaterasu, and also says that he's been wanting to try something out for a while. Now, while I basically piss on his confidence in Amaterasu, I will acknowledge that he might just be cooking up something legit. He's now experienced or seen Madara's jutsu in two circumstances, three if you want to include Madara escaping Amaterasu. Sasuke experienced Itachi's Tsukyomi three times before determining a way to beat it. Also, Sasuke had his Sharingan on when Madara phased. So it's quite possible that Sasuke is developing a counter to Madara's jutsu.
After Taka has left, Zetsu compliments Madara on reining Sasuke back in, but Madara states that it wasn't how he wanted things to work out. It would seem that he had been planning on Nagato's Rinne Tensei to revive in case he ever died, showing that he has a lot of contigency plans up his sleeves. It would also seem that he's giving Sasuke the chance to become powerful enough to sync with the Gedou Mazou, acknowledging that had Naruto not thrown a wrench into his plans it wouldn't have come to this. Lastly, Madara states he's done being "cautious" and says it's time to implement what he calls the "Moon's Eye Plan".
As we cut away from Madara, we get an unexpected bit of awesomeness to end the chapter with, as we see the Sand Siblings prepare to head to the KS. Kankurou has changed his face paint once more, as well as saying that it took him a while to learn a new "trick". Both of these definitely signify that Kankurou has likely mastered another puppet, foreshadowing the Sand Siblings in battle sometime in the near future. Temari shows off an outfit change where less is definitely more. And Gaara is shown, rocking the sand gourd and Kazekage hat, looking older and wiser (though those circles still haven't disappeared). Kishi, you know exactly what fanservice to give me
Lesson Review: Pay Close Attention!
Things are definitely moving apace in the story. Naruto is going out to play while Danzou is away, making the fan theories that he'll train with Bee to master the Kyuubi all the more likely. Personally, I'm thinking that Kishi will find some way to reveal to Naruto his mother's role in the story as well during the following arc, though I will admit this is unlikely with how much will be going on in the next arc. Sasuke is...Sasuke. Nothing much new there, besides seeing what else will happen. Though personally, I doubt he'll reach the KS. Much like he was interrupted in reaching Konoha, I see Oro-Lite interrupting him on his way to the Summit. I for one would love to see Kabuto put an Optimus Prime-sized a**-whooping on Taka (I just saw T2 last night and trust me when I say an Optimus sized whooping is a large one indeed...). And lastly, it seems that Madara is getting tired of hiding in the shadows. I won't venture to guess what the specifics of the Moon's Eye Plan will be, but I believe it's going to be some huge, destructive distraction to occupy the Five Nations while Madara begins to bring his own plans to a close while everyone is looking the other way. It would probably be right up his alley.
Chapter Grade: A+ What can I say? I loved this chapter. There was fanservice aplenty, from the color pages to the preview to the Artbook to the scene with the Sand Siblings. Plus, the plot is starting to move in a definite direciton again, and I feel as excited as I did when I read the chapter when both Naruto and Sasuke simultaneously decided to go after Itachi. Things are coming to a head once again, and knowing Kishi, I'm gonna love where they end up.
Lastly, I'm not one for dedicating reviews or anything, so I'll just say this. Yesterday, the world lost one of its biggest music stars, and irrespective of his faults and shortcomings he was a person who touched lives around the entire world. So, my prayers go out to his family, especially his children, and I hope God comforts them in this time. RIP Michael Jackson. Music was never the same after you appeared, and it may never be matched again.
Lesson 1: Into the Depths of Fail
As Madara suddenly appears in front of the team, the most telling reaction is from Karin who says his chakra suddenly appeared out of nowhere. So, instead of searching through the entire forest for the team, he found them right off the bat. "Is it time for another crack theory from the 1TrueSensei?" the class asks? Yes. Yes it is.
Madara had Sasuke's body to himself (pervs take from that sentence what you will
) for an unknown amount of time after his fight with Itachi. If it was within Madara's plans to ultimately use Sasuke for his purposes, then it also makes sense that he would develop a definite way to keep tabs on him. It is entirely possible that, with his skill with space-time jutsus, he put a seal on Sasuke's Sharingan or even on his body that will allow him to find him no matter where he might be. In a way, a higher level of Minato's jutsu. But I digress yet again, and I'll try to stop all these tangents lol.
Sasuke finally finds out that he'd been rickroll'd by Killerbee, and upon being requested by Madara to undergo another mission to make up for their failure, he attacks Madara. The guy he swiped a sword through, yet remained unharmed. The guy who was probably the only one besides Sasuke to escape an Amaterasu unharmed without external help. If the 1TrueSensei could facepalm his face through his palm, he'd do so right now. *tries, and gets a bloody nose* Dammit, Sasuke. Look at what you do to me...
When Karin asks what Madara means, Zetsu coincidentally shows up (methinks that him and Madara had the timing of this little encounter planned out beforehand) to inform the group that Danzou had been selected as the new Hokage. And just to clarify, Madara "reminds" Sasuke that Danzou is one of the elders who put out the hit on the Uchiha clan. As if Sasuke didn't already know the name of the person he was pursuing. I tell you, if the ring he's leading Sasuke by the nose by was any more obvious, we'd be hearing Sasuke "moo" everytime someone mentioned Konoha. What? The joke was unfunny? Well screw you too *runs away crying* lol. Madara gives him the Cliff's Notes about how his actions and how Pein's general insanity have drawn too much attention to Akatsuki, giving rise to the Kage Summit (KS from this point forward; the 1TS is a big fan of abbreviations
), and Zetsu begins to give them the detailed version as the chapter cuts away.Lesson 2: The Difference in Growth
Anyway, we see the immediate difference in the maturity levels of Naruto and Sakura in their reactions to the news that Sasuke has joined Akatsuki. When Karui asks Sakura what Sasuke is to her anyway, she begins to break down in tears while Naruto takes the news calmly, though sadly. Karui makes a point that though she has as much of a right to cry over Killerbee and Yugito, she isn't, emphasizing what seems to be the beginning of the contrast between her and Sakura shown on the cover page.
Though they received the official info on Sasuke from Konoha, Kumo still chased down Naruto and Sakura because of their relationship with their sensei. In classic Kishi style the words they tell Naruto about not being able to sit around and wait and getting revenge for their master are a near perfect echo of Naruto's words after hearing of Jiraiya's death. Naruto is immediately able to relate to them on their level, especially after telling them that he's a jinchuuriki exactly like Killerbee. He tells them that AK keeps their hosts alive for a time, meaning there would still be a chance to save him. Naruto offers to help them search for their master, telling Sakura that he'll take care of things.
In Sakura's case, it's understandable why she broke down at the news of Sasuke's betrayal in every sense of the word. Joining Akatsuki has not only joining the organization responsible for Konoha's destruction, and the group responsible for Tsunade's coma, but also the group largely responsible for making Naruto's life so painful. In addition to this Sakura has yet to undergo her own maturation arc like Naruto has, or arguably, even Sasuke. She has yet to develop her own core of inner strength and conviction like Naruto, or dogged determination, no matter how displaced, that Sasuke has as a result of losing so much so early in life. She is the most immature of the three, and I'm thinking that something in her interactions with Karui will help her mature in the near future. At least, I certainly hope so. And Kishi, where is her genjutsu, dangit?!
Lesson 3: The Best Laid Plans...
Suigetsu suggests going after Danzou at the summit, and Karin gives him the stinkeye the idiotic idea deserves:
Strangely enough, I can now see Karin being the first to jump ship if s*** hits the fan, which it undoubtedly will sometime in the near future. Her inner fangirl is strong, but her common sense seems to be stronger. And, above all, she seems to be a survivor who looks out for her own best interests. I actually kinda hope Kishi does decide to do this, if for no other reason than to see the effect is has on Sasuke. But I digress once again...
As Taka follows Caucasian Zetsu, Juugo speaks for the first time, asking Sasuke if they can trust Zetsu, and by extension, Madara. Sasuke places full faith in the jutsu that has yet to kill anyone, Amaterasu, and also says that he's been wanting to try something out for a while. Now, while I basically piss on his confidence in Amaterasu, I will acknowledge that he might just be cooking up something legit. He's now experienced or seen Madara's jutsu in two circumstances, three if you want to include Madara escaping Amaterasu. Sasuke experienced Itachi's Tsukyomi three times before determining a way to beat it. Also, Sasuke had his Sharingan on when Madara phased. So it's quite possible that Sasuke is developing a counter to Madara's jutsu.
After Taka has left, Zetsu compliments Madara on reining Sasuke back in, but Madara states that it wasn't how he wanted things to work out. It would seem that he had been planning on Nagato's Rinne Tensei to revive in case he ever died, showing that he has a lot of contigency plans up his sleeves. It would also seem that he's giving Sasuke the chance to become powerful enough to sync with the Gedou Mazou, acknowledging that had Naruto not thrown a wrench into his plans it wouldn't have come to this. Lastly, Madara states he's done being "cautious" and says it's time to implement what he calls the "Moon's Eye Plan".
As we cut away from Madara, we get an unexpected bit of awesomeness to end the chapter with, as we see the Sand Siblings prepare to head to the KS. Kankurou has changed his face paint once more, as well as saying that it took him a while to learn a new "trick". Both of these definitely signify that Kankurou has likely mastered another puppet, foreshadowing the Sand Siblings in battle sometime in the near future. Temari shows off an outfit change where less is definitely more. And Gaara is shown, rocking the sand gourd and Kazekage hat, looking older and wiser (though those circles still haven't disappeared). Kishi, you know exactly what fanservice to give me
Lesson Review: Pay Close Attention!
Things are definitely moving apace in the story. Naruto is going out to play while Danzou is away, making the fan theories that he'll train with Bee to master the Kyuubi all the more likely. Personally, I'm thinking that Kishi will find some way to reveal to Naruto his mother's role in the story as well during the following arc, though I will admit this is unlikely with how much will be going on in the next arc. Sasuke is...Sasuke. Nothing much new there, besides seeing what else will happen. Though personally, I doubt he'll reach the KS. Much like he was interrupted in reaching Konoha, I see Oro-Lite interrupting him on his way to the Summit. I for one would love to see Kabuto put an Optimus Prime-sized a**-whooping on Taka (I just saw T2 last night and trust me when I say an Optimus sized whooping is a large one indeed...). And lastly, it seems that Madara is getting tired of hiding in the shadows. I won't venture to guess what the specifics of the Moon's Eye Plan will be, but I believe it's going to be some huge, destructive distraction to occupy the Five Nations while Madara begins to bring his own plans to a close while everyone is looking the other way. It would probably be right up his alley.
Chapter Grade: A+ What can I say? I loved this chapter. There was fanservice aplenty, from the color pages to the preview to the Artbook to the scene with the Sand Siblings. Plus, the plot is starting to move in a definite direciton again, and I feel as excited as I did when I read the chapter when both Naruto and Sasuke simultaneously decided to go after Itachi. Things are coming to a head once again, and knowing Kishi, I'm gonna love where they end up.
Last edited:
