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Long time no see, my friends! (Well, in the Scrapbooks, anyway!) ...to make a long story short, the month of May was just an extremely busy time for me. Lots of things going on in my life.
Also, to be honest with you guys, I wasn't that impressed enough by chapters 305 and 306 to think too deeply on them, at first...
Sasuke's re-appearance has definitely changed all that, so here we go! I'll be going back to each of the chapters that I missed reviewing, from Chapter 305 to the latest chapter, 308. That last chapter sure had some people talking around here, and deservedly so!
Feel free to post your own opinions and enjoy. And once again, I must thank Japflap and Shannaro for satisfying our wet dreams with their recent HQ Edited Mangas! Good work, guys!
1. Snakes and Spies - Interesting that Orochimaru immediately realized right after his "Senei Jashu" feint that Sai was going under a false name. I guess that it must be that if one is discovered as a spy, even if he's from Konohagakuare, then all the information that person has given about himself or herself would naturally be considered fallacious. I'd actually like to see Team 7 sometimes assigned to a covert mission where they'd have to hide their identities as well, but I wonder if that wouldn't be asking too much of Naruto? Anyway, I liked that Sai had confused everybody so much that even Orochimaru wasn't sure what side Sai was on at first, that he had to use his snakes to figure it out as well. It shows that he's just as human as any of them, although I suppose it falls in line with his semi-paranoia around Kabuto as well.
2. You Do It, Sai! - This is the one thing that really bothered me when I read this chapter. I don't think that there's any way that after 2 years and a half of determinedly training in order to save his "brother" lost in the darkness, Naruto would have gone on and turned the mission over to somebody else when he's so close, even Sakura. And especially Sai, a hidden agent who had misled them from the very beginning.
I realize that it's in Naruto's nature to sacrifice himself for the welfare of somebody else's, but he should have also realized that he was in no state to face one of the Three Legendary Sannin head on, for chrissakes! Sai, even though his motives ultimately turned out to be good, should have known that as well. After all, Sai had just seen Naruto stumble all over the hallways! I guess he might have been counting on the Kyuubi to come out to save Naruto's neck again, but that still doesn't explain why Naruto was so quick to hand the reins over to Sai. Then again, he always did a tendency to jump into battle without thinking... the whole scene still bothers me though.
3. The Pied Piper of Konoha - Gotta admit, that Ninpou: Choujuu Giga skill that Sai used to spread out a dozen of ink-composed rats in order to scout out the place was rather cool, and I can see it being a handy jutsu.
I guess he never has to worry about losing his socks, at least.
4. Be a good boy and... Is it just me, or did anybody else think it was strange that Orochimaru now believes Naruto to be capable of killing another Akatsuki member for him, when you consider that he was very skeptical of Naruto's abilities back in Part One?
And isn't it peculiar that Orochimaru isn't as concerned that the Akatsuki might still be able to use Naruto, which seemed to concern him a lot back then? Heck, Orochimaru even tried to kill Naruto then, and if it hadn't been for Tsunade's last-minute heroics, he would have.
I guess Sasori's defeat must have impressed Orochimaru, though I doubt he ever considered Sakura to be the main reason. Wonder if that'd change his perspective on Naruto, if he ever finds out...
5. My Top Top Secret Secret Mission Thingy, it's really...! - Turned out I should have trusted my initial suspicion all along, that Sai was originally deployed to assassinate Sasuke! Nice job by Kishimoto to mislead a lot of his readers into thinking Danzou and Sai were involved in a bigger conspiracy than that, so this is one case where I can certainly forgive Naruto and Sakura for not seeing the whole truth.
6. Sai, a True Patriot? - Speaking of Sai's true mission, Sai did condemn Sasuke as being a traitor back in Chapter 286, which led to Sakura nearly smashing all his teeth out. That was our first hint there that that was his mission all along.
So is it any surprise that Sai's Bingo Book was filled with shady characters, all posing a threat to Konoha? And that he had been directly involved in terminating some of them. The question, though - is Sai ( and Danzou ) really being patriots by trying to help Konohagakure without the Godaime's approval? Something tells me Tsunade needs to make her presence a little more felt around that village in the near future...
7. Assassination with a Smile? - You know, Sai uses the rationale that having a misleading smile is useful in order to get himself out of tight spots, which yes, might be true sometimes.
But since he turned out to be an assassin, wouldn't it have been more appropriate that he said that a smile was a key factor in accomplishing his missions? For example, in order to assassinate somebody, a smile would definitely be a weapon in order to get them to drop their guard.
In Sasuke's case, though, that definitely wouldn't have worked, and I guess Sai does suck at it anyway, so whatever. XD
8. A Sleeping Duck - I was a bit disappointed to see Sasuke sleeping in his bed when Sai got to him. I mean, he probably did just come back from training, but come on? Orochimaru was obviously worn out from his battle with Kyuubified Naruto, after all. And also, Sasuke was facing towards the wall, despite living with people he probably doesn't trust, plus a newcomer that he didn't exactly take a liking to? He sure has a lot of confidence in himself...
9. Is that you again, Orochimaru? Heh, Sasuke already had to put up with Orochimaru's snakes, now he's having to deal with snakes from somebody else? I definitely wouldn't have been surprised if Sasuke had initially thought it was Oro come visiting him for another passionate tryst! ( I'm just kidding, take it easy.
)
10. Safeguarding and Breaking Bonds - Putting the silliness aside, I did appreciate how Kishimoto turned Sai into such a dynamic character in such a short time. It was clearly obvious that Naruto had had an effect on him, and Sai showed it here by going back on an organization that had always taught him to ignore the past and focus on his missions.
If you think about it, he was breaking one bond, his connection to the Root organization, in order to protect another. It's a subtle change, but it doesn't mean it was any less dynamic than if he had screamed it out loud that he was turning his back on the Root organization in order to pursue his own goals. It's a good example of how conflict can be such a prevailing part of the life of a shinobi.
RATING: 2.5 out of 5 Stars. The deal with Naruto deciding to take Orochimaru on alone, and putting Sasuke's fate in the hands of somebody who had betrayed him at one time, was a little too much for me to stomach. Sai's true mission being revealed as an assassination did make me glad, though.
1. I think I'll join you, Ten-Ten - This sleeping Naruto cover was too reminiscent of Ten-Ten's "sleeping on a couch" cover back in Chapter 259. Kinda ordinary; I wasn't impressed. And anyway, who really gets a kick out of seeing Naruto kickin' it back on a beach chair and scratching his crotch? Oh well, I guess I'll give Kishimoto a break here, since he had been on a roll with covers lately.
I'll say, though, that some excellent colorists we have here (like Vhea) certainly did an amazing job on it.
2. Guess that wasn't a good answer... Sasuke seemed mightily annoyed that Sai was talking to him about bonds. But really, would Sasuke have been any less annoyed if Sai had said that he had come to kill him?
Hmm, now that I think about it, probably. He might've been looking for a good reason to kill somebody. =/
3. Bunshin no Jutsu time! Or not... Naruto summoned some more bunshins to run ahead of him at the beginning of the chapter. That drove me crazy, because I had the impression that Naruto was already closing on to his limits. Wouldn't it have staggered him even more to have done that than if he had just stayed with running with the others himself?
And then there's the part where these clones just seemingly vanished. Wonder if they'll come back at some later point.
4. Boom! - There's your lesson for the day right there, kids. Don't wake Sasuke up in the morning... or you might die a rather horrifying death.
Kabuto's "he gets cranky when he wakes up" comment kind of made me laugh. Just how many times has Sasuke blown up on him in the morning? XD
(That kinda came out wrong. Oh well. Moving on...)
5. Yamato's Super-Senses at Work! Actually, I'm not sure how he could tell that Sai's chakra was in the vicinity of the explosion, since to my recollection, he didn't give Sai a tracking seed ( though maybe Kishimoto chose not to show us that part ).
It was kinda redundant anyway, all they had to do was obviously head into the direction of the explosion. Maybe Yamato takes more after Kakashi than we all suspected, and was trying to look cool? XD
6. OMG, Sasuke-kun! What have you done to your hair! Seriously, what WAS Sakura's reaction all about? Oh wait, I guess it could be that outfit... anyway, I was a bit annoyed at how drawn-out the reaction by Sakura was. Yeah, it made the story suspenseful but it really wasn't necessary.
7. Sai's Anxiety - It's kinda funny seeing Sai getting emotional so much more now. He didn't show much emotion when Sakura rushed to him seemingly to kill him, but he showed more emotion when he saw Naruto coming. It was well-drawn, though.
8. Desperate Run - Dramatic. Naruto runs, falls, gets up, runs. 'Cause he must see what Sasuke looks like now! Feels like us Naruto fans for the last year, doesn't it?
9. Shades of the Valley of the End! - The way Kishimoto laid out the splash pages of Naruto looking towards Sasuke reminded me, to an extent, of a scene back in chapter 218. That was when Naruto had finally caught up to Sasuke on the heads of the two statues at the waterfall. Pretty similar scene.
But I liked how Kishimoto also showed everybody looking up at Sasuke, with only the back of his hair showing, just to give this scene an unique twist. Kishimoto does have a flair for dramatic perspective.
10. And at last... Sasuke! - I've already commented on how I initially felt about Sasuke's new look elsewhere here, but I guess it bears repeating again here since it was basically the spotlight of this chapter.
Well, I wasn't thrilled at all about his outfit. To my mind, he looked more like a dancing instructor than an elite ninja. And that bow on his waist didn't help matters - it practically screamed "Orochimaru's female dog," to put it more delicately. For somebody who was so set in doing things his own way, his clothes really did come as somewhat of a shock.
No, I wasn't expecting him to keep his old clothes, since he had obviously grown since then, but I didn't think he would take the Kimimaro route, either. Kimimaro was somebody who had obviously idolized Orochimaru. Sasuke's not like that. I'd have expected him to be more like Kabuto, who never did change his fashion (of course Kishimoto probably figured he shouldn't fix what wasn't broken in Kabuto's case, but still.) The Sound Four were obviously Orochimaru's slaves, so he could dress them however he wanted (that sounds so wrong, doesn't it?) This isn't even taking in account that I don't think Orochimaru had adopted that fashion until after he had stolen the body of that Grass Nin way back at the start of the Chuunin Exams.
Anyway, Sasuke hasn't changed much visually other than that, but he definitely does seem more grown-up, still an interesting design, and he apparently hasn't lost any of his appeal to his rabid fans. Kudos to Kishimoto, at least, for that.
RATING: 2.5 out of 5 Stars. Nothing much happened aside from Sasuke's return, and even that came initially as somewhat of a disappointment. I wasn't really anxious for the next chapter after this one. But I should've been, because the next two chapters were much better.
And without further ado...
First of all, I just want to say that Chapter 307 was without a doubt one of my favorite chapters of Naruto in a long, long time. This one was so interesting, and definitely long in coming. The dialogue was near flawless.
1. Guess Who? - But first, the cover.
Well, yeah, my Great-Aunt probably would have predicted Sasuke as being the feature cover this chapter, and she doesn't even read Naruto!
But despite the long-awaited feature character, I don't think this was a very impressive cover. Don't think it was supposed to be, either... still, I hope this signals the end of the mediocre covers. Although I'm sure that colorists who've been itching to color Sasuke again aren't complaining. Speaking of which, might as well say whose colorings I liked the best. I think I preferred Zero Absoluto's coloring the best, although I similarly enjoy Vhea and Lizzy-kun's versions as well. Lizzy-kun's in particular was a very unique take, and Vhea's was very sensual, as always.
2. Looking for a Sharingan Battle? - Since Kakashi was Sasuke's first inquiry, something tells me Sasuke wants to meet him as soon as possible so that he can test how better he's gotten at using his Sharingan. That'd probably be an interesting battle. Or was Sasuke just nervous about having to see his old mentor again?
3. Gettin' Bold Now - Really more of a sidenote here, but Sai certainly looked cool when he took out his weapon. Probably the best pose I've seen of him. He's probably showing more emotion this day than he's ever did in most of his life...
4. New Vegeta? - Don't be alarmed Naruto fans - I mean it only in the most superficial sense.
Nevertheless, when Sasuke commented on Sai being "just another pansy, fitting for Team 7" - I couldn't help but think that would have been something Vegeta, the eternal warmonger, would have said in DragonballZ. But yeah, Sasuke's a much more complex character, but he seems more the battle-seeking warrior than ever now. He also still has a lot to learn if he things like being compassionate or peace-loving is the same as being weak; he's definitely walking in the darkness.
5. Nice Summary, Sai - For somebody who seems to be confused with things like emotional bonds and friendships, Sai certainly nailed it on the head about why Sakura and Naruto were searching for Sasuke. Although, really, it's not all that complicated... they're just trying to get their old friend back! It's a weird scene, though. Sai is, or at least was, probably somebody Sasuke would have liked to try to emulate in that he doesn't want to feel emotion except for his ultimate goal to kill his brother, and yet, Sai is now turning out to be an antithesis here. Funny.
6. An Avenger's Reasoning - I was very surprised here. I didn't expect to understand where Sasuke was coming from, but he made it sound pretty simple with his explanation! "All my other bonds caused me to lose focus, and weakened my strongest wish, my greatest desire."
In a way, I suppose it's true. If his ultimate goal was to kill his brother, then being with Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi long enough would have likely caused him to have second thoughts. Kakashi, after all, even directly advised him to stop looking for revenge. Things like that. In time, Sasuke, the Avenger, would have been destroyed eventually as a result of that relationship, even if he forced it to become a casual one.
So in that sense, I suppose I do sympathize with Sasuke and can see where he's coming from now. It almost reminds me of the whole Smeagol-Gollum thing from LoTR; there's probably a part of him that didn't really want to betray his friends, but his Gollum... "the Avenger", won out in the end. The thing is, he still doesn't understand that vengeance isn't necessarily going to solve his problems. He's going to be a tough one to convince about that, though!
7. Flashbacks Galore! - Oh, fun fun... we've got a lot of flashbacks again. Kinda understandable though, I don't mind them. It was probably the right timing for some, and it did add to the tense atmosphere and dialogue. I usually don't like flashbacks as much if I don't feel like the characters are also getting them as well, but this time I felt like they were.
8. Whimisical Decisions - I have a feeling "whim" is going to be a new catchword with Naruto fans!
But anyway, I guess it's not surprising that Sasuke went and dismissed his supposed "mercy" as something of a whim, especially since we know what Itachi said to him, and that Sasuke defied him in his own way. But I now kinda like the complex thinking behind that action, though. There'll be some people who'll say "well there you have it, Sasuke just let him live 'cause he didn't want to follow Itachi's plan," but of course Sasuke won't just go out and say "I didn't want to kill you anyway."
Of course, I think that kinda annoys Sasuke (or at least "The Avenger") that he felt that way, and hence...
9. Loose Ends - ...the Avenger intends to do something about it now, right? Uh-oh, he's taking that sword out. (When I first saw that sheath on Sasuke's back, btw, I thought it was a fan initially, but a sword's much better XD )
But I think there's still a part of Sasuke deep down that wants Naruto to understand why he feels that way, almost looking for approval. That's why the Hokage speech. "Naruto, if you wanted to be Hokage, you should've just focused on it like I did on my brother, right? What I'm doing is the correct thing, you're going about it all the wrong way. So really, you kinda did this to yourself by looking for me. " Okay, so he didn't exactly put it like that, but close enough. It was a pretty personal exchange, though, more than I expected from Sasuke at this point. Again, I was surprised. After Chapter 300, I had expected Sasuke to be much less emotional than this, more of a machine. Guess he'll always be conflicted, albeit in a cool manner.
10. Good ol' Naruto - I quite liked Naruto's rebuttal. I mean, he bluntly said to Sasuke that he wouldn't be a Hokage if he wasn't even able to save his friend. Very Naruto-esque. And what can you say to that? I don't think Sasuke had a very good reply, so all he could do is "hmph." (Although he probably doesn't consider himself as somebody who needs saving.) Still, it's cool how Naruto always seems to be able to express himself just right, that I think he was able to gain a little bit of respect back from somebody.
I also kind of wonder what Sasuke would believe the best way to becoming Hokage is - at the moment, probably just killing everybody that gets in his way, a la the old Gaara. In a way, he's acting more like Gaara now than Gaara himself is.
Anyway, very very good chapter - and overall excellent art as well. Loved the scene where Sasuke just suddenly sped to Naruto's side, with a hand on his shoulder. Then the slow turn of angles around them as Sasuke was taking out his weapon. This part will definitely look good in the anime.
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars. First time in a while I've given a Naruto chapter 5 stars, but this one definitely deserved it. Good art, good dialogue, and a suspenseful cliffhanger. It's the most interesting chapter since Chapter 292 (when Naruto went berserk on Orochimaru and Kabuto), although that chapter still owns in pure dynamicism.
1. Sai to the Rescue! - Cool scene where Sai jumps to Naruto's defense, and momentarily halts Sasuke's deathblow! My respect for Sai seems to be getting higher with every passing chapter, kinda like how it was with Yamato for a while. Sasuke cryptically saying it was a good guard for Sai, given the properties of his sword that we didn't know until later in the chapter, was pretty right on, tho. Sai was still pretty lucky here.
2. Circus Acrobatics - Naruto should apply for a Circus, what with that swinging acrobatic move he pulled on Sasuke's arm. That was pretty cool.
3. Like an Eel... - 'Chidori Discharge!' I guess it's fitting for somebody of Sasuke's personality since he always did dislike getting too personal with anybody. Also pretty much in tune with his shock of hair! Anyway, the Discharge'll be a fun special effect to watch out for in the anime, but I always expected Sasuke to actually expand on his fire-based Uchiha powers instead of the Chidori, and for Kakashi to do the latter, but oh well...
I'm also left wondering if that's what he used against Sai's snakes and what caused the huge explosion back there, but I'm betting it was something else entirely. Hmm.
4. Dangerous Eyes - You mean besides the Sharingan? Yeah, I agree entirely with Yamato's take on Sasuke's eyes here. When Sakura came at him, at first Sasuke looked a bit startled, then his eyes took on a pretty deadly, steely resolve. That's always trouble. Sasuke really looked like he was ready to strike her down, despite their history.
5. Got Ya! Fufu! - Heh, somebody should arrest Sasuke on the grounds he's just not being fair. He was already a pretty extraordinary ninja with a bunch of amazing abilities, and now he has that little weapon. I'm still pretty pissed at him for what he did to Yamato here. >.< But it's a pretty ingenious move to be able to direct his chidori to paralyze somebody who's been pierced by his sword. It's not that much different from Sasori, if you think about it, but at least it should be temporary if somebody else can manage to get him off Yamato, unlike a deadly poison.
6. Quickly Forgotten - Somewhat amusing that Sasuke quickly forgot all about Sakura in a matter of moments right after he had taken Yamato down, and re-focused back on Naruto again. Something tells me he's going to pay for underestimating Sakura at some point in this battle - he isn't even aware of Sakura's super strength. I think Sakura will determine the end of this particular battle. You heard it here first.
7. Kyuubi's Lair - Since one of our colorists here, Batanga, titled his coloring of the memorable double-spread here "Kyuubi's Lair," (Check it out here! )I might as well title this comment the same way. Friggin' awesome. I've always liked it when Naruto has an exchange with the Kyuubi inside him, at that gate, but this was pretty dramatic. "Who do you want to kill..." Boy, you can definitely tell the Kyuubi's still evil.
8. In Your Face - Good for Naruto. He realizes it now, that giving into the beast isn't gonna solve anything for him anymore. Yamato's revelation to Naruto that Sakura was hurt by his own actions paid off here. In a way, I think it's probably going to help him in the future, because the Kyuubi itself might even build more respect for him, and here, I think it also made an impression on Sasuke as well.
In a way, it's sorta symbolic of what we all have to deal with, too... inner demons. Everybody has one, really, that they have to struggle with at times. If you happen to believe in Devils, there's always that temptation of asking for more power in return for your soul. That's what I keep thinking about when I read about Naruto's dealings with the Kyuubi, anyway, but either way, to give into the beast would definitely be a bad thing for him... even though it's cool-looking and fun to watch! XD
9. What the---!? Yeah, that was exactly my reaction when I saw Sasuke standing there with Naruto, holding his own hand to the growling Kyuubi. What the dickens? Definitely a surprise twist I don't think anybody saw coming. Has his Sharingan gotten so powerful to the point he can actually see and enter another person's mind (presumably with genjutsu)? Scary.
10. Confirmed Well, Sasuke probably already suspected it before when he battled Naruto at the Valley of the End, but now he definitely knows about the Kyuubi. I wonder if this changes anything for him regarding his opinion of Naruto. I doubt it, but it'll be interesting anyway.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars. Surprise twist there at the end threw me for a loop, and opens up a lot of pretty cool possibilities. Good, fun chapter overall that gave us an idea of Sasuke's new capabilities.
Well, that's it. Hope you guys enjoyed that! Can't wait for the next chapter.
Also, to be honest with you guys, I wasn't that impressed enough by chapters 305 and 306 to think too deeply on them, at first...
Sasuke's re-appearance has definitely changed all that, so here we go! I'll be going back to each of the chapters that I missed reviewing, from Chapter 305 to the latest chapter, 308. That last chapter sure had some people talking around here, and deservedly so!
Feel free to post your own opinions and enjoy. And once again, I must thank Japflap and Shannaro for satisfying our wet dreams with their recent HQ Edited Mangas! Good work, guys!
* * * Gold Knight's Ten Comments on Naruto Chapter 305: The Bonds Between You And... * * *
1. Snakes and Spies - Interesting that Orochimaru immediately realized right after his "Senei Jashu" feint that Sai was going under a false name. I guess that it must be that if one is discovered as a spy, even if he's from Konohagakuare, then all the information that person has given about himself or herself would naturally be considered fallacious. I'd actually like to see Team 7 sometimes assigned to a covert mission where they'd have to hide their identities as well, but I wonder if that wouldn't be asking too much of Naruto? Anyway, I liked that Sai had confused everybody so much that even Orochimaru wasn't sure what side Sai was on at first, that he had to use his snakes to figure it out as well. It shows that he's just as human as any of them, although I suppose it falls in line with his semi-paranoia around Kabuto as well.
2. You Do It, Sai! - This is the one thing that really bothered me when I read this chapter. I don't think that there's any way that after 2 years and a half of determinedly training in order to save his "brother" lost in the darkness, Naruto would have gone on and turned the mission over to somebody else when he's so close, even Sakura. And especially Sai, a hidden agent who had misled them from the very beginning.
I realize that it's in Naruto's nature to sacrifice himself for the welfare of somebody else's, but he should have also realized that he was in no state to face one of the Three Legendary Sannin head on, for chrissakes! Sai, even though his motives ultimately turned out to be good, should have known that as well. After all, Sai had just seen Naruto stumble all over the hallways! I guess he might have been counting on the Kyuubi to come out to save Naruto's neck again, but that still doesn't explain why Naruto was so quick to hand the reins over to Sai. Then again, he always did a tendency to jump into battle without thinking... the whole scene still bothers me though.
3. The Pied Piper of Konoha - Gotta admit, that Ninpou: Choujuu Giga skill that Sai used to spread out a dozen of ink-composed rats in order to scout out the place was rather cool, and I can see it being a handy jutsu.
I guess he never has to worry about losing his socks, at least.
4. Be a good boy and... Is it just me, or did anybody else think it was strange that Orochimaru now believes Naruto to be capable of killing another Akatsuki member for him, when you consider that he was very skeptical of Naruto's abilities back in Part One?
And isn't it peculiar that Orochimaru isn't as concerned that the Akatsuki might still be able to use Naruto, which seemed to concern him a lot back then? Heck, Orochimaru even tried to kill Naruto then, and if it hadn't been for Tsunade's last-minute heroics, he would have.
I guess Sasori's defeat must have impressed Orochimaru, though I doubt he ever considered Sakura to be the main reason. Wonder if that'd change his perspective on Naruto, if he ever finds out...
5. My Top Top Secret Secret Mission Thingy, it's really...! - Turned out I should have trusted my initial suspicion all along, that Sai was originally deployed to assassinate Sasuke! Nice job by Kishimoto to mislead a lot of his readers into thinking Danzou and Sai were involved in a bigger conspiracy than that, so this is one case where I can certainly forgive Naruto and Sakura for not seeing the whole truth.
6. Sai, a True Patriot? - Speaking of Sai's true mission, Sai did condemn Sasuke as being a traitor back in Chapter 286, which led to Sakura nearly smashing all his teeth out. That was our first hint there that that was his mission all along.
So is it any surprise that Sai's Bingo Book was filled with shady characters, all posing a threat to Konoha? And that he had been directly involved in terminating some of them. The question, though - is Sai ( and Danzou ) really being patriots by trying to help Konohagakure without the Godaime's approval? Something tells me Tsunade needs to make her presence a little more felt around that village in the near future...
7. Assassination with a Smile? - You know, Sai uses the rationale that having a misleading smile is useful in order to get himself out of tight spots, which yes, might be true sometimes.
But since he turned out to be an assassin, wouldn't it have been more appropriate that he said that a smile was a key factor in accomplishing his missions? For example, in order to assassinate somebody, a smile would definitely be a weapon in order to get them to drop their guard.
In Sasuke's case, though, that definitely wouldn't have worked, and I guess Sai does suck at it anyway, so whatever. XD
8. A Sleeping Duck - I was a bit disappointed to see Sasuke sleeping in his bed when Sai got to him. I mean, he probably did just come back from training, but come on? Orochimaru was obviously worn out from his battle with Kyuubified Naruto, after all. And also, Sasuke was facing towards the wall, despite living with people he probably doesn't trust, plus a newcomer that he didn't exactly take a liking to? He sure has a lot of confidence in himself...
9. Is that you again, Orochimaru? Heh, Sasuke already had to put up with Orochimaru's snakes, now he's having to deal with snakes from somebody else? I definitely wouldn't have been surprised if Sasuke had initially thought it was Oro come visiting him for another passionate tryst! ( I'm just kidding, take it easy.
)10. Safeguarding and Breaking Bonds - Putting the silliness aside, I did appreciate how Kishimoto turned Sai into such a dynamic character in such a short time. It was clearly obvious that Naruto had had an effect on him, and Sai showed it here by going back on an organization that had always taught him to ignore the past and focus on his missions.
If you think about it, he was breaking one bond, his connection to the Root organization, in order to protect another. It's a subtle change, but it doesn't mean it was any less dynamic than if he had screamed it out loud that he was turning his back on the Root organization in order to pursue his own goals. It's a good example of how conflict can be such a prevailing part of the life of a shinobi.
RATING: 2.5 out of 5 Stars. The deal with Naruto deciding to take Orochimaru on alone, and putting Sasuke's fate in the hands of somebody who had betrayed him at one time, was a little too much for me to stomach. Sai's true mission being revealed as an assassination did make me glad, though.
* * * Gold Knight's Ten Comments on Naruto Chapter 306: Reunion * * *
1. I think I'll join you, Ten-Ten - This sleeping Naruto cover was too reminiscent of Ten-Ten's "sleeping on a couch" cover back in Chapter 259. Kinda ordinary; I wasn't impressed. And anyway, who really gets a kick out of seeing Naruto kickin' it back on a beach chair and scratching his crotch? Oh well, I guess I'll give Kishimoto a break here, since he had been on a roll with covers lately.
I'll say, though, that some excellent colorists we have here (like Vhea) certainly did an amazing job on it.
2. Guess that wasn't a good answer... Sasuke seemed mightily annoyed that Sai was talking to him about bonds. But really, would Sasuke have been any less annoyed if Sai had said that he had come to kill him?
Hmm, now that I think about it, probably. He might've been looking for a good reason to kill somebody. =/
3. Bunshin no Jutsu time! Or not... Naruto summoned some more bunshins to run ahead of him at the beginning of the chapter. That drove me crazy, because I had the impression that Naruto was already closing on to his limits. Wouldn't it have staggered him even more to have done that than if he had just stayed with running with the others himself?
And then there's the part where these clones just seemingly vanished. Wonder if they'll come back at some later point.
4. Boom! - There's your lesson for the day right there, kids. Don't wake Sasuke up in the morning... or you might die a rather horrifying death.
Kabuto's "he gets cranky when he wakes up" comment kind of made me laugh. Just how many times has Sasuke blown up on him in the morning? XD
(That kinda came out wrong. Oh well. Moving on...)
5. Yamato's Super-Senses at Work! Actually, I'm not sure how he could tell that Sai's chakra was in the vicinity of the explosion, since to my recollection, he didn't give Sai a tracking seed ( though maybe Kishimoto chose not to show us that part ).
It was kinda redundant anyway, all they had to do was obviously head into the direction of the explosion. Maybe Yamato takes more after Kakashi than we all suspected, and was trying to look cool? XD
6. OMG, Sasuke-kun! What have you done to your hair! Seriously, what WAS Sakura's reaction all about? Oh wait, I guess it could be that outfit... anyway, I was a bit annoyed at how drawn-out the reaction by Sakura was. Yeah, it made the story suspenseful but it really wasn't necessary.
7. Sai's Anxiety - It's kinda funny seeing Sai getting emotional so much more now. He didn't show much emotion when Sakura rushed to him seemingly to kill him, but he showed more emotion when he saw Naruto coming. It was well-drawn, though.
8. Desperate Run - Dramatic. Naruto runs, falls, gets up, runs. 'Cause he must see what Sasuke looks like now! Feels like us Naruto fans for the last year, doesn't it?
9. Shades of the Valley of the End! - The way Kishimoto laid out the splash pages of Naruto looking towards Sasuke reminded me, to an extent, of a scene back in chapter 218. That was when Naruto had finally caught up to Sasuke on the heads of the two statues at the waterfall. Pretty similar scene.
But I liked how Kishimoto also showed everybody looking up at Sasuke, with only the back of his hair showing, just to give this scene an unique twist. Kishimoto does have a flair for dramatic perspective.
10. And at last... Sasuke! - I've already commented on how I initially felt about Sasuke's new look elsewhere here, but I guess it bears repeating again here since it was basically the spotlight of this chapter.
Well, I wasn't thrilled at all about his outfit. To my mind, he looked more like a dancing instructor than an elite ninja. And that bow on his waist didn't help matters - it practically screamed "Orochimaru's female dog," to put it more delicately. For somebody who was so set in doing things his own way, his clothes really did come as somewhat of a shock.
No, I wasn't expecting him to keep his old clothes, since he had obviously grown since then, but I didn't think he would take the Kimimaro route, either. Kimimaro was somebody who had obviously idolized Orochimaru. Sasuke's not like that. I'd have expected him to be more like Kabuto, who never did change his fashion (of course Kishimoto probably figured he shouldn't fix what wasn't broken in Kabuto's case, but still.) The Sound Four were obviously Orochimaru's slaves, so he could dress them however he wanted (that sounds so wrong, doesn't it?) This isn't even taking in account that I don't think Orochimaru had adopted that fashion until after he had stolen the body of that Grass Nin way back at the start of the Chuunin Exams.
Anyway, Sasuke hasn't changed much visually other than that, but he definitely does seem more grown-up, still an interesting design, and he apparently hasn't lost any of his appeal to his rabid fans. Kudos to Kishimoto, at least, for that.
RATING: 2.5 out of 5 Stars. Nothing much happened aside from Sasuke's return, and even that came initially as somewhat of a disappointment. I wasn't really anxious for the next chapter after this one. But I should've been, because the next two chapters were much better.
And without further ado...* * * Gold Knight's Ten Comments on Naruto Chapter 307: At a Whim!! * * *
First of all, I just want to say that Chapter 307 was without a doubt one of my favorite chapters of Naruto in a long, long time. This one was so interesting, and definitely long in coming. The dialogue was near flawless.
1. Guess Who? - But first, the cover.
Well, yeah, my Great-Aunt probably would have predicted Sasuke as being the feature cover this chapter, and she doesn't even read Naruto!
But despite the long-awaited feature character, I don't think this was a very impressive cover. Don't think it was supposed to be, either... still, I hope this signals the end of the mediocre covers. Although I'm sure that colorists who've been itching to color Sasuke again aren't complaining. Speaking of which, might as well say whose colorings I liked the best. I think I preferred Zero Absoluto's coloring the best, although I similarly enjoy Vhea and Lizzy-kun's versions as well. Lizzy-kun's in particular was a very unique take, and Vhea's was very sensual, as always.
2. Looking for a Sharingan Battle? - Since Kakashi was Sasuke's first inquiry, something tells me Sasuke wants to meet him as soon as possible so that he can test how better he's gotten at using his Sharingan. That'd probably be an interesting battle. Or was Sasuke just nervous about having to see his old mentor again?
3. Gettin' Bold Now - Really more of a sidenote here, but Sai certainly looked cool when he took out his weapon. Probably the best pose I've seen of him. He's probably showing more emotion this day than he's ever did in most of his life...
4. New Vegeta? - Don't be alarmed Naruto fans - I mean it only in the most superficial sense.
Nevertheless, when Sasuke commented on Sai being "just another pansy, fitting for Team 7" - I couldn't help but think that would have been something Vegeta, the eternal warmonger, would have said in DragonballZ. But yeah, Sasuke's a much more complex character, but he seems more the battle-seeking warrior than ever now. He also still has a lot to learn if he things like being compassionate or peace-loving is the same as being weak; he's definitely walking in the darkness.
5. Nice Summary, Sai - For somebody who seems to be confused with things like emotional bonds and friendships, Sai certainly nailed it on the head about why Sakura and Naruto were searching for Sasuke. Although, really, it's not all that complicated... they're just trying to get their old friend back! It's a weird scene, though. Sai is, or at least was, probably somebody Sasuke would have liked to try to emulate in that he doesn't want to feel emotion except for his ultimate goal to kill his brother, and yet, Sai is now turning out to be an antithesis here. Funny.
6. An Avenger's Reasoning - I was very surprised here. I didn't expect to understand where Sasuke was coming from, but he made it sound pretty simple with his explanation! "All my other bonds caused me to lose focus, and weakened my strongest wish, my greatest desire."
In a way, I suppose it's true. If his ultimate goal was to kill his brother, then being with Naruto, Sakura, and Kakashi long enough would have likely caused him to have second thoughts. Kakashi, after all, even directly advised him to stop looking for revenge. Things like that. In time, Sasuke, the Avenger, would have been destroyed eventually as a result of that relationship, even if he forced it to become a casual one.
So in that sense, I suppose I do sympathize with Sasuke and can see where he's coming from now. It almost reminds me of the whole Smeagol-Gollum thing from LoTR; there's probably a part of him that didn't really want to betray his friends, but his Gollum... "the Avenger", won out in the end. The thing is, he still doesn't understand that vengeance isn't necessarily going to solve his problems. He's going to be a tough one to convince about that, though!
7. Flashbacks Galore! - Oh, fun fun... we've got a lot of flashbacks again. Kinda understandable though, I don't mind them. It was probably the right timing for some, and it did add to the tense atmosphere and dialogue. I usually don't like flashbacks as much if I don't feel like the characters are also getting them as well, but this time I felt like they were.
8. Whimisical Decisions - I have a feeling "whim" is going to be a new catchword with Naruto fans!
But anyway, I guess it's not surprising that Sasuke went and dismissed his supposed "mercy" as something of a whim, especially since we know what Itachi said to him, and that Sasuke defied him in his own way. But I now kinda like the complex thinking behind that action, though. There'll be some people who'll say "well there you have it, Sasuke just let him live 'cause he didn't want to follow Itachi's plan," but of course Sasuke won't just go out and say "I didn't want to kill you anyway."
Of course, I think that kinda annoys Sasuke (or at least "The Avenger") that he felt that way, and hence...
9. Loose Ends - ...the Avenger intends to do something about it now, right? Uh-oh, he's taking that sword out. (When I first saw that sheath on Sasuke's back, btw, I thought it was a fan initially, but a sword's much better XD )
But I think there's still a part of Sasuke deep down that wants Naruto to understand why he feels that way, almost looking for approval. That's why the Hokage speech. "Naruto, if you wanted to be Hokage, you should've just focused on it like I did on my brother, right? What I'm doing is the correct thing, you're going about it all the wrong way. So really, you kinda did this to yourself by looking for me. " Okay, so he didn't exactly put it like that, but close enough. It was a pretty personal exchange, though, more than I expected from Sasuke at this point. Again, I was surprised. After Chapter 300, I had expected Sasuke to be much less emotional than this, more of a machine. Guess he'll always be conflicted, albeit in a cool manner.
10. Good ol' Naruto - I quite liked Naruto's rebuttal. I mean, he bluntly said to Sasuke that he wouldn't be a Hokage if he wasn't even able to save his friend. Very Naruto-esque. And what can you say to that? I don't think Sasuke had a very good reply, so all he could do is "hmph." (Although he probably doesn't consider himself as somebody who needs saving.) Still, it's cool how Naruto always seems to be able to express himself just right, that I think he was able to gain a little bit of respect back from somebody.
I also kind of wonder what Sasuke would believe the best way to becoming Hokage is - at the moment, probably just killing everybody that gets in his way, a la the old Gaara. In a way, he's acting more like Gaara now than Gaara himself is.
Anyway, very very good chapter - and overall excellent art as well. Loved the scene where Sasuke just suddenly sped to Naruto's side, with a hand on his shoulder. Then the slow turn of angles around them as Sasuke was taking out his weapon. This part will definitely look good in the anime.
RATING: 5 out of 5 Stars. First time in a while I've given a Naruto chapter 5 stars, but this one definitely deserved it. Good art, good dialogue, and a suspenseful cliffhanger. It's the most interesting chapter since Chapter 292 (when Naruto went berserk on Orochimaru and Kabuto), although that chapter still owns in pure dynamicism.
* * * Gold Knight's Ten Comments on Naruto Chapter 308: Sasuke's Strength * * *
1. Sai to the Rescue! - Cool scene where Sai jumps to Naruto's defense, and momentarily halts Sasuke's deathblow! My respect for Sai seems to be getting higher with every passing chapter, kinda like how it was with Yamato for a while. Sasuke cryptically saying it was a good guard for Sai, given the properties of his sword that we didn't know until later in the chapter, was pretty right on, tho. Sai was still pretty lucky here.
2. Circus Acrobatics - Naruto should apply for a Circus, what with that swinging acrobatic move he pulled on Sasuke's arm. That was pretty cool.
3. Like an Eel... - 'Chidori Discharge!' I guess it's fitting for somebody of Sasuke's personality since he always did dislike getting too personal with anybody. Also pretty much in tune with his shock of hair! Anyway, the Discharge'll be a fun special effect to watch out for in the anime, but I always expected Sasuke to actually expand on his fire-based Uchiha powers instead of the Chidori, and for Kakashi to do the latter, but oh well...
I'm also left wondering if that's what he used against Sai's snakes and what caused the huge explosion back there, but I'm betting it was something else entirely. Hmm.
4. Dangerous Eyes - You mean besides the Sharingan? Yeah, I agree entirely with Yamato's take on Sasuke's eyes here. When Sakura came at him, at first Sasuke looked a bit startled, then his eyes took on a pretty deadly, steely resolve. That's always trouble. Sasuke really looked like he was ready to strike her down, despite their history.
5. Got Ya! Fufu! - Heh, somebody should arrest Sasuke on the grounds he's just not being fair. He was already a pretty extraordinary ninja with a bunch of amazing abilities, and now he has that little weapon. I'm still pretty pissed at him for what he did to Yamato here. >.< But it's a pretty ingenious move to be able to direct his chidori to paralyze somebody who's been pierced by his sword. It's not that much different from Sasori, if you think about it, but at least it should be temporary if somebody else can manage to get him off Yamato, unlike a deadly poison.
6. Quickly Forgotten - Somewhat amusing that Sasuke quickly forgot all about Sakura in a matter of moments right after he had taken Yamato down, and re-focused back on Naruto again. Something tells me he's going to pay for underestimating Sakura at some point in this battle - he isn't even aware of Sakura's super strength. I think Sakura will determine the end of this particular battle. You heard it here first.
7. Kyuubi's Lair - Since one of our colorists here, Batanga, titled his coloring of the memorable double-spread here "Kyuubi's Lair," (Check it out here! )I might as well title this comment the same way. Friggin' awesome. I've always liked it when Naruto has an exchange with the Kyuubi inside him, at that gate, but this was pretty dramatic. "Who do you want to kill..." Boy, you can definitely tell the Kyuubi's still evil.
8. In Your Face - Good for Naruto. He realizes it now, that giving into the beast isn't gonna solve anything for him anymore. Yamato's revelation to Naruto that Sakura was hurt by his own actions paid off here. In a way, I think it's probably going to help him in the future, because the Kyuubi itself might even build more respect for him, and here, I think it also made an impression on Sasuke as well.
In a way, it's sorta symbolic of what we all have to deal with, too... inner demons. Everybody has one, really, that they have to struggle with at times. If you happen to believe in Devils, there's always that temptation of asking for more power in return for your soul. That's what I keep thinking about when I read about Naruto's dealings with the Kyuubi, anyway, but either way, to give into the beast would definitely be a bad thing for him... even though it's cool-looking and fun to watch! XD
9. What the---!? Yeah, that was exactly my reaction when I saw Sasuke standing there with Naruto, holding his own hand to the growling Kyuubi. What the dickens? Definitely a surprise twist I don't think anybody saw coming. Has his Sharingan gotten so powerful to the point he can actually see and enter another person's mind (presumably with genjutsu)? Scary.
10. Confirmed Well, Sasuke probably already suspected it before when he battled Naruto at the Valley of the End, but now he definitely knows about the Kyuubi. I wonder if this changes anything for him regarding his opinion of Naruto. I doubt it, but it'll be interesting anyway.
RATING: 4.5 out of 5 Stars. Surprise twist there at the end threw me for a loop, and opens up a lot of pretty cool possibilities. Good, fun chapter overall that gave us an idea of Sasuke's new capabilities.
Well, that's it. Hope you guys enjoyed that! Can't wait for the next chapter.
