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I had originally intended to keep all my chapter reviews in one thread, but it seems somewhat inconvenient. So decided to start this one in its own thread and I'll merge the threads later on to avoid cluttering up the forum. Anyway, here's my thoughts on Chapter 301. Feel free to comment as you wish 
1. Long Time No See, Blondie! - A Yondy cover! Very unexpected, even though it still follows Kishimoto's Part 2 trend of close-up character covers. But I liked it.
Generally, I believe that Kishimoto just draws whatever he feels like for these covers. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if this time he had a purpose behind the Yondaime cover. After all it wasn't so long ago in the story that Yamato told Naruto straight up that he had the power to accomplish his objective without the Kyuubi's help.
This Yondaime cover may have been meant to remind the reader about the mystery of Naruto's origins as they related to him. And also to show what Naruto aspired to be, again - the ultimate Hokage. Whatever the reason, it was a nice change of pace.
(Request to any Translators reading this: I'd like to know what it says on his back, by the way. The Fourth Hokage of Konoha?)
2. Sakura's Determination... Reaffirmed (Again!) Okay, at first, when Sakura reminded Naruto that they're working together to save Sasuke, I almost expected him to answer "I know, shut up already!". (Probably something Ichigo would have told Rukia in Bleach.) But I suppose it's always been something that Sakura felt and thought on the inside, and we as the readers heard her thoughts more often than Naruto (who's always been a bit dense).
What I'm really wondering is how Sakura will react to Sasuke when she actually sees him again. They had an awkward parting the last time they saw each other. If Kishimoto is smart, he'll show us here how much Sakura has changed from then... perhaps by having her adopt a more neutral position and seeing him as somebody who's definitely walking a path of darkness, even though she still clearly likes him.
But that brings us to another question. Does she now have feelings for Naruto too? That seemed to be something Yamato was about to imply a few chapters ago. If that's the case, it's both funny and sad, at the same time, that Naruto is so focused on recovering Sasuke that he hasn't even been able to stop and take advantage of her interest (except possibly for a brief moment at the steam bath, before Yamato ruined that... but it was probably for the best!)
3. Have a Taste of Your Own Medicine, Sai "Get Lost." Yep, that's Sasuke all right!
( Remember when Sasuke said that to Kankurou when the Sand Trio first appeared way back in chapter 35? ) Funny how he hasn't changed at all, but I'm glad that's the case, since his personality was already so well-established. So how does it feel, Sai, when you're trying to get to know somebody who doesn't care a whit about YOU?
On a side note, I found it almost hilarious how Orochimaru and Kabuto were just standing around, going ".........." ( Almost like they were thinking, 'Ouch, Sai, you just got dissed, my man.' )
4. Sai is Lousy at Bluffing. Seriously. I'm not sure what all Danzou has in mind, but I think it's pretty clear that Sasuke is just another objective on Sai's mission. Otherwise, Sai wouldn't have bothered trying to talk to him, considering that he seems to regard him as a traitor to Konohagakure.
Sai's trying too hard to get familiar with Sasuke here, and I believe it's for a reason (backstabbing him at some point would be my guess, if possible). And Sasuke saw right through him... literally! Which brings us to the next comment...
5. Another Itachi? While Sasuke still seems the same as ever, he's obviously more powerful. How could he not be, after all that time with Orochimaru? But so what exactly did he do to Sai, there?
My theory: I think that he's better able to control genjutsu through his Sharingan now. He's become just like Itachi in that he's using genjutsu more than ever to his advantage. He probably could turn himself into birds, too, to anyone affected by his doujutsu. Anyway, Sai certainly seemed to pay the price for trying to get too familiar with Sasuke here...
6. No Fear? For whatever reason, I didn't think that Sai's lack of emotions included fear. That was interesting. Of course, if Sasuke is able to bring fear to Sai's heart when nothing else does - and with only a glance at that - I'm thinking Sai is headed for a very bad week! XD
7. No Longer Brothers? Yep, looks like Sasuke's still committed to his quest, that is, to defeat and kill Itachi. But that's no surprise. He wouldn't have been with Orochimaru all this time if that wasn't the case.
What I'm wondering, though, is if Sasuke has completely discarded all feelings of friendship for Naruto as well. When he assured Sai that the only brother he had was one he was seeking to kill, I think he was ALSO telling him that he currently no longer cares about Naruto or Sakura at all.
I'm thinking Team 7 might need to watch out because Sasuke may be completely fine with butchering them in cold blood, if he sees them.
8. The ANBU is screwed... Maybe? Danzou, you bastard. You gave Orochimaru ALL the secrets to the ANBU's roster? No wonder that envelope was so important. I can completely see why Oro was so quickly convinced that Sai was on their side! I'm really enjoying the little conspiracy subplot that Naruto has at the moment, my only hope is that Kishimoto doesn't forget it as he writers later chapters and I have enough faith that he won't, despite whatever big battles may be coming ahead.
Concerning the rosters, what I'm wondering about is if Yamato came across that envelope while they were at the onsen, and did he exchange the information for false information? After all, he did browse through Sai's bag.
If that's the case, one might wonder, "if Yamato knew Sai was going to betray them, why didn't he just take him back to the Konohagakure authorities?" I think that might have been why Yamato asked Naruto and Sai to train with him. He wanted to test Sai's abilities and determine whether he could defeat him at the time. Since Sai successfully caught Yamato without any problem, I think Yamato at this point was like "heck, Danzou would probably have done something eventually anyway, let's just go through with this and see what happens." Regardless, I think the information may be counterfeit.
But man, Danzou had better watch out when Yamato and company returns to Konohagakure (assuming, of course, if they do...)
9. Yamato, Why Aren't You Hokage Yet? Seems like every single chapter, Yamato does something to win a few more fans over. This time, it's tracking seeds - which completely makes sense considering his affinity for wood. So convenient.
I also think this means we're likely to see separate battles being fought in upcoming chapters, since Kishimoto seems to be foreshadowing some separation at some point.
10. Time for a Showdown? Or Not? Some people are predicting that it'll still be a few chapters before we see Sasuke fully revealed, but I think it's this coming week. It's possible Orochimaru COULD have set up some traps, though, just as the Akatsuki did for Gai's team, but I don't think they've had time to do that.
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars. The ANBU rosters, the conversation between Sai and Sasuke, and Yamato's preparation gets my vote for a good story so far. I also don't think it's a bad thing that Kishimoto is holding off on revealing Sasuke yet because I think he's saving it for maximum dramatic impact for when Naruto and Sakura first sees him.
P.S.
I got a PM related to my Chapter 300 Comments, a question asking about my opinion on Sai's brother possibly being Shisui.
I'll quote my response here if anybody's interested.
I think it's a plausible theory.
The only gaps in that theory would be:
1) Sai hasn't shown any Uchiha abilities yet, and being the brother of a renowned guy like Shisui, I'd think he would at the very least show some Sharingan ability at this point. It seems to appear with experience, and Sai seems like he's had plenty of that.
2) I'd think Konohagakure would know if there was still another Uchiha still alive.
It's possible that Danzou kept it a secret somehow by tossing him into the 'Roots' organization and saying he was somebody found on the streets whose past isn't known, though.
I know there's plenty of ways to explain both these away and if it does turn out to be the case, it'll be interesting. Though I think having any more Sharingan users in the series would be a bit overkill at this point, and I don't know if Kishimoto wants to go that route.
* * * Gold Knight's 10 Comments on Naruto Chapter 301: Sai and Sasuke * * *
1. Long Time No See, Blondie! - A Yondy cover! Very unexpected, even though it still follows Kishimoto's Part 2 trend of close-up character covers. But I liked it.
Generally, I believe that Kishimoto just draws whatever he feels like for these covers. Still, I wouldn't be surprised if this time he had a purpose behind the Yondaime cover. After all it wasn't so long ago in the story that Yamato told Naruto straight up that he had the power to accomplish his objective without the Kyuubi's help.
This Yondaime cover may have been meant to remind the reader about the mystery of Naruto's origins as they related to him. And also to show what Naruto aspired to be, again - the ultimate Hokage. Whatever the reason, it was a nice change of pace.
(Request to any Translators reading this: I'd like to know what it says on his back, by the way. The Fourth Hokage of Konoha?)
2. Sakura's Determination... Reaffirmed (Again!) Okay, at first, when Sakura reminded Naruto that they're working together to save Sasuke, I almost expected him to answer "I know, shut up already!". (Probably something Ichigo would have told Rukia in Bleach.) But I suppose it's always been something that Sakura felt and thought on the inside, and we as the readers heard her thoughts more often than Naruto (who's always been a bit dense).
What I'm really wondering is how Sakura will react to Sasuke when she actually sees him again. They had an awkward parting the last time they saw each other. If Kishimoto is smart, he'll show us here how much Sakura has changed from then... perhaps by having her adopt a more neutral position and seeing him as somebody who's definitely walking a path of darkness, even though she still clearly likes him.
But that brings us to another question. Does she now have feelings for Naruto too? That seemed to be something Yamato was about to imply a few chapters ago. If that's the case, it's both funny and sad, at the same time, that Naruto is so focused on recovering Sasuke that he hasn't even been able to stop and take advantage of her interest (except possibly for a brief moment at the steam bath, before Yamato ruined that... but it was probably for the best!)
3. Have a Taste of Your Own Medicine, Sai "Get Lost." Yep, that's Sasuke all right!
( Remember when Sasuke said that to Kankurou when the Sand Trio first appeared way back in chapter 35? ) Funny how he hasn't changed at all, but I'm glad that's the case, since his personality was already so well-established. So how does it feel, Sai, when you're trying to get to know somebody who doesn't care a whit about YOU?On a side note, I found it almost hilarious how Orochimaru and Kabuto were just standing around, going ".........." ( Almost like they were thinking, 'Ouch, Sai, you just got dissed, my man.' )
4. Sai is Lousy at Bluffing. Seriously. I'm not sure what all Danzou has in mind, but I think it's pretty clear that Sasuke is just another objective on Sai's mission. Otherwise, Sai wouldn't have bothered trying to talk to him, considering that he seems to regard him as a traitor to Konohagakure.
Sai's trying too hard to get familiar with Sasuke here, and I believe it's for a reason (backstabbing him at some point would be my guess, if possible). And Sasuke saw right through him... literally! Which brings us to the next comment...
5. Another Itachi? While Sasuke still seems the same as ever, he's obviously more powerful. How could he not be, after all that time with Orochimaru? But so what exactly did he do to Sai, there?
My theory: I think that he's better able to control genjutsu through his Sharingan now. He's become just like Itachi in that he's using genjutsu more than ever to his advantage. He probably could turn himself into birds, too, to anyone affected by his doujutsu. Anyway, Sai certainly seemed to pay the price for trying to get too familiar with Sasuke here...
6. No Fear? For whatever reason, I didn't think that Sai's lack of emotions included fear. That was interesting. Of course, if Sasuke is able to bring fear to Sai's heart when nothing else does - and with only a glance at that - I'm thinking Sai is headed for a very bad week! XD
7. No Longer Brothers? Yep, looks like Sasuke's still committed to his quest, that is, to defeat and kill Itachi. But that's no surprise. He wouldn't have been with Orochimaru all this time if that wasn't the case.
What I'm wondering, though, is if Sasuke has completely discarded all feelings of friendship for Naruto as well. When he assured Sai that the only brother he had was one he was seeking to kill, I think he was ALSO telling him that he currently no longer cares about Naruto or Sakura at all.
I'm thinking Team 7 might need to watch out because Sasuke may be completely fine with butchering them in cold blood, if he sees them.
8. The ANBU is screwed... Maybe? Danzou, you bastard. You gave Orochimaru ALL the secrets to the ANBU's roster? No wonder that envelope was so important. I can completely see why Oro was so quickly convinced that Sai was on their side! I'm really enjoying the little conspiracy subplot that Naruto has at the moment, my only hope is that Kishimoto doesn't forget it as he writers later chapters and I have enough faith that he won't, despite whatever big battles may be coming ahead.
Concerning the rosters, what I'm wondering about is if Yamato came across that envelope while they were at the onsen, and did he exchange the information for false information? After all, he did browse through Sai's bag.
If that's the case, one might wonder, "if Yamato knew Sai was going to betray them, why didn't he just take him back to the Konohagakure authorities?" I think that might have been why Yamato asked Naruto and Sai to train with him. He wanted to test Sai's abilities and determine whether he could defeat him at the time. Since Sai successfully caught Yamato without any problem, I think Yamato at this point was like "heck, Danzou would probably have done something eventually anyway, let's just go through with this and see what happens." Regardless, I think the information may be counterfeit.
But man, Danzou had better watch out when Yamato and company returns to Konohagakure (assuming, of course, if they do...)
9. Yamato, Why Aren't You Hokage Yet? Seems like every single chapter, Yamato does something to win a few more fans over. This time, it's tracking seeds - which completely makes sense considering his affinity for wood. So convenient.
I also think this means we're likely to see separate battles being fought in upcoming chapters, since Kishimoto seems to be foreshadowing some separation at some point.
10. Time for a Showdown? Or Not? Some people are predicting that it'll still be a few chapters before we see Sasuke fully revealed, but I think it's this coming week. It's possible Orochimaru COULD have set up some traps, though, just as the Akatsuki did for Gai's team, but I don't think they've had time to do that.
RATING: 4 out of 5 Stars. The ANBU rosters, the conversation between Sai and Sasuke, and Yamato's preparation gets my vote for a good story so far. I also don't think it's a bad thing that Kishimoto is holding off on revealing Sasuke yet because I think he's saving it for maximum dramatic impact for when Naruto and Sakura first sees him.
P.S.
I got a PM related to my Chapter 300 Comments, a question asking about my opinion on Sai's brother possibly being Shisui.
I'll quote my response here if anybody's interested.
I think it's a plausible theory.
The only gaps in that theory would be:
1) Sai hasn't shown any Uchiha abilities yet, and being the brother of a renowned guy like Shisui, I'd think he would at the very least show some Sharingan ability at this point. It seems to appear with experience, and Sai seems like he's had plenty of that.
2) I'd think Konohagakure would know if there was still another Uchiha still alive.
It's possible that Danzou kept it a secret somehow by tossing him into the 'Roots' organization and saying he was somebody found on the streets whose past isn't known, though.
I know there's plenty of ways to explain both these away and if it does turn out to be the case, it'll be interesting. Though I think having any more Sharingan users in the series would be a bit overkill at this point, and I don't know if Kishimoto wants to go that route.
