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Here you go, my thoughts on Chapter 316! What an interesting chapter it was, too. Again, thanks for reading and please go ahead and post any of your thoughts as well - they really do help me think of some things I didn't before. 
Once again, just a quick reminder (since it's still a relatively new section), all of my previous reviews that I've done at MH are now being stored here!
And since I've been asked about the possibility of doing an archive of even older commentaries that I did at Naruto Forums before I was modded ( they were done for Chapters 247 to 280 in the Discussion threads ) - I have a bit of bad news regarding the subject. It's just been confirmed to me that they NO longer exist...! Darn it. This is because my older Comments were posted in the old Konoha News Stand forum, which was deleted as part of a mod's project over there to keep people from being spoiled. This was a movement which, ironically enough, I first led along with TenshiOni! And no, I didn't back them up, and yes, in retrospect I wish I had now. Sorry about that. Still, keep in mind that they were not as detailed as the ones I've been doing at MH since Chapter 300 though, so you're not missing much anyway... they were more or less just some typical, quick reactions, with a little humor here and a little ranting there... ^^ Anyway, without further ado...
1. Yup, Kishimoto, We Get Your Drift. While some fans may have thought of "water" because of the whirlpool theme of Naruto's name, the cyclone-like insignia on his left bicep does indicate that Kishimoto had "wind" in mind all along for Naruto's recently revealed element. So with the design being so prominent on this week's cover, Kishimoto almost seems to be reminding the readers that this had been his plan all along. Yes, yes, we know you're clever, Kishimoto-sama. Even so, I still would have preferred to see a little more creativity put in the overall presentation of the cover... an accompanying background that was related to the element, perhaps an approaching hurricane off in the distance, wouldn't have been too bad. Ah well. Probably just trying to beat the deadline and didn't have time, but this cover is still going to be the kind that'll be easily forgotten in time (at least, compared to some of the other covers we've seen so far.)
And incidentally, just for your personal amusement, here's another hint that Kishimoto might have had wind in mind for Naruto's element since way back when...
( Bonus points if you knew what was coming! )
2. Winds of War...! Pretty funny how Kishimoto must have been lurking around here on the boards to see what the fans thought, since a bunch of the questions from last week were answered this week...! One inquiry in particular was from disappointed fans who wondered aloud "why wind?" since they believed that it wouldn't be as powerful as the other basic elements. Well, hope you guys feel happier this week, 'cause Kakashi just Mangekyou'ed that assumption to pieces and completely Chidori'ed the leftovers! With his statement, we learned that in actuality wind is the strongest battle element in Naruto's world, as it possesses both the ability to blow down and cut through anything! Whoa! But hey, you know what, when you take in account that wind can change landforms, and yet is the most invisible force of the five elements, it doesn't surprise me in the least. Wind is not only a formidable weapon, it's also incredibly stealthy as well, and THAT is everything in a shinobi world.
The whole thing also seems to me kind of poetic as well, because in my mind, Naruto represents the current "wind of change" that's blowing through his continent. If he ever becomes Hokage, which will likely be his eventual accomplishment in the series, it won't be because he was able to cut through opponents with his wind jutsus, it'll be because he influenced so many people to alter their way of thinking. Always a difficult, S-Ranked task. And yes, I'm liking the idea of wind being Naruto's main weapon more than ever, obviously.
Another interesting thing is if you'll remember how the legend of the Kyuubi' powers were presented at the beginning of the series, it went something like this: "single swing of its nine tails would raise tsunamis and flatten mountains." So far, Naruto seems headed towards being able to do something of both to a certain extent.
3. Like Peas in a Pod? Alright, we haven't exactly gotten very far yet with finding out more about the history of Yamato and Kakashi's relationship with each other, but we still learned a few things here about them. Well, three things, anyway. First off, they were both remarkably similar in their reactions here to Naruto's puzzled facial expression (which was good for a chuckle or two here), so probably possessed the same kind of tense, somewhat impatient mindset when tutoring a kid like him. Two, they're apparently in a comfort zone and seem very used to working with each other, since Kakashi's quick whispering to Yamato was almost immediate.
And last but not least, they both apparently like to show off...!
We already know Kakashi likes to look cool and all in the most dire of situations, but Yamato? Looks like he doesn't even need much of a reason. Judging from his facial expression there at the end of Kakashi's suggestion, Yamato seemed more than eager to get the demonstration going. His reaction seemed to have that sense of boyish delight, "Woo-hoo! Here I go! Alright!"
Either that or he was extremely pleased that Kakashi had found a quick and easy solution to explaining the answer to Naruto, but Yamato seemed way too excited... Either way, I liked this scene, it seemed to even further humanize both Kakashi and Yamato. Boys will be boys, ya know? Yup, even grown senseis...!
4. What's next, Woodstock? And yeah, after Yamato's insane display of effortlessly pulling an 100 feet cliff out of the ground, conjuring a waterfall to burst out of the top, and then causing an instanteous growth of trees on the sides, I almost half-expected him to finish it all off by summoning a crowd of naked hippies to run around the cliff and gleefully throw flower petals in Naruto's general direction! But then again, that would REALLY be flaunting his power, wouldn't ya think?
One thing's for sure - Yamato would be an instant hit with the Greenpeace organization...!
5. The Jutsu Wheel! Ok, back to more serious matters! So with Yamato's demonstration, we got another answer to a question that was brought up last week: the origin of alternative elements such as the "wood" created by Mokuton no Jutsu.
If we're to take the senseis' explanation literally, it seems almost like chakra works somewhat similiar to a color wheel - you know, blue and red makes purple, yellow and blue makes green, and so on. (Reminds you of how Naruto described his Kyuubi chakra as red, doesn't it?) Furthermore, when one simultaneously activates two of the five basic (or "primary") elements, then a "secondary element" would be created, which in Yamato's case would be wood, and Haku's case would be ice.
All that sounds simple enough; the catch, though, is that the shinobi must possess something in his DNA for him to be able to manipulate the two elements at the same time in order to mix them... hence, a Bloodline Limit. This is supported by Haku's case, where his genetic ability allowed him to merge wind and water into ice. This might indicate that in fact the Mokuton no Jutsu is also an advanced Bloodline Limit of sorts, which doesn't surprise me considering it's such a rare ability. For some reason this ability must not been able to be passed on to Shodai's descendants (as Tsunade didn't have it) - perhaps a recessive trait?
However you want to describe it best, allow me to give props to ChuckinUpDeuces for being partially right in his prediction from last thread. Good going!
A fresh, new question, of course, would be how one could "create" a Bloodline Limit in order to be able to manipulate a secondary element, as the lesson would seem to foreshadow. My guess would be that it's not something you can "create," but rather "discover" as in finding out what your elemental strengths are and what your chakra and DNA are capable of doing, and then all that would be left would be becoming skilled at it. With Naruto's immense storage of chakra and the time advantages of the Kage Bunshin, as a result of his training, he could end up discovering an unique Bloodline Limit-type jutsu that only he can use, even before the Akatsuki hits town...! Boy, wouldn't the bad guys be in for a surprise then...
Edit: TheBolivianGuy reminded me of an Orochimaru scene where he described chakra, seals, and jutsus as "colors" which would certainly seem to indirectly support my metaphor here in that Kishimoto might have been thinking about it. Thanks!
6. "Yin" and "Yang" Nature Manipulation... Say What? Alright, even though it was a partial answer that we got here, here's what I would guess from Yamato's mention of "Yin" and "Yang" nature manipulation and what that's all about.
Let's stay with the "color wheel" metaphor. If we treat the Mokuton and Hyouton as combinations of primary elements, then Shikamaru and Chouji's abilities may be better thought as mixes of complementary elements. So for example, if Water (Blue) is mixed with its opposing secondary element (Orange) formed from two of the other primary elements (Red & Yellow in this case), then it would produce a "grey" jutsu like the Kagemane no Jutsu. Would be pretty appropriate considering the appearance of shadows, too...! Considering that Yin & Yang are a concept of two complimentary opposites, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case. Of course, it probably goes without saying that these are Bloodline limits as well, since you practically have to have the capability to manipulate more than just two primary elements (three at least). Shikamaru may have even more potential than any of us realized (but of course, he's too lazy to really care about all that... heh!).
Another interesting note is that Yin is symbolized by water, and Yang is symbolized by fire, so that may be a hint at the elements most often used in "Yin and Yang" nature manipulation right there...
Still, gah! Kakashi's chastened Naruto twice before for being "too hasty," and yet, here he and Yamato are, trying to get the training going quickly without having to explain everything to their student. Ah well... at least we're promised an expanded explanation sometimes, possibly the next time when Shikamaru goes into action.
7. Boxing Training!? This may be one of my more obscure comments, but all fans of this boxing manga will hopefully understand what I'm talking about here. When Kakashi ordered Naruto to practice using his chakra in order to cut up a leaf, I was immediately reminded of how the main character, Ippo, in the first chapter of Hajime no Ippo, in order to become a boxer, had to train himself to catch ten falling leaves!
That, of course, made me wonder what Naruto would have been like if he had been a boxer in another life. Hmm... probably not all that different. XD
Anyway, that "Leaf" theme of Konohagakure just keeps coming back, doesn't it? First Naruto had to depend on what he remembered of Iruka's lectures of the "leaf focus" training in order to realize the second step of the Rasengan training, and now this! I wonder if the other villages used their own "symbol" this often in their teachings. Probably, though. In any case...
8. The Shadow Knight...! Please excuse the title, I just thought it looked cool. XD Anyway, Shikamaru is a Knight? No wonder I liked him so much.
But yeah, we didn't really learn anything new much here from Asuma's metaphor. We all already knew that Shikamaru was better known for his strategic genius than for his raw power, which is what Asuma was saying here with the "Knight" piece used in shogi games. The REAL interesting part came next...
9. More Foreshadowing...! Figures we'd get some more of that in Shikamaru's presence. He attracts shadows, after all.
This time, though, the possible foreshadowing is much more serious than earlier in the chapter, especially for Asuma fans...! Some have already suspected it before when Asuma went to Sandaime's grave, and it's looking like they might be right. If Naruto's possibly going to learn a Bloodline Limit-type jutsu, are we also possibly going to see Asuma go out like a "sacrifical shogi piece" in order to protect his "King?" Hopefully not! My immediate reaction was: "No way! We barely know the guy! Don't kill him now just when we were starting to learn more about him!" I mean, we JUST recently found out that he's the son of Sandaime, and aside from that, not much else. We know he likes smoking, can manipulate his chakra in order to extend the range of his weapons, and can knock down a bunch of Sound scouts in about 1.5 seconds. (I'm sure Asuma fans know a bit more, but you get what I mean.)
Unfortunately that's usually a major reason why less-known secondary characters are in the story - so they can be used to add some unexpected drama to the story... usually with their deaths. That's what happened to poor Hayate way back in the Chuunin Exams, old man Sandaime in his battle against Orochimaru, and not too long ago, Chiyo-baasma in the revival of Gaara. So yeah, I'm worried for Asuma now. Better remember him in your prayers tonight, kids!
Of course, Kishimoto may just be his usual "tricky devil" self again, trying to fool us all in thinking that's exactly what would happen. Wouldn't surprise me. Still, the foreshadowing of Chiyo's death did indeed come true, so who knows.
The other thing that was brought up here was who Asuma considered to be the "King." He hinted that Shikamaru would figure it out when the time came, but I say it's just that "precious person" that's earned itself such a niche as an on-going theme in Naruto ever since Haku died for Zabuza. Who might this person be to Asuma? Think about what the answer was for his father, and that's probably your answer right there. And that's likely why he came to understand his father better, what Tsunade came to realize when she became the Godaime, and something that Shikamaru will eventually find out as well, if he continues being a chuunin at Konohagakure. And definitely Naruto will feel the same way someday, if he doesn't already, as he comes closer to his goal of becoming Hokage.
10. Quick Work, Naruto...! Well, like Kakashi said, that sure didn't take too long for Naruto at all to finish the first step of the training. Want to place bets on how long it'll take for Naruto to complete this training with his Kage Bunshin?
I say, just a day, and probably only two more chapters. Should be relatively quicker than the Rasengan training. You've probably already voted, but in case you missed it, here's a poll where you can tell us what you think. Don't be shy, and vote early! We'll find out the answer soon enough.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars. Like last chapter, this wasn't too involved a chapter except for the chakra lessons and the foreshadowing. In some ways I think Kishimoto might have committed something of a mistake by implying that Asuma might die just as the series was returning to more focus on secondary characters, which might upset some fans. Hopefully it's just false foreshadowing, but it does make for some interesting, grip-the-seat-of-your-chairs drama, which I guess makes Naruto anything but boring right now. All in all, I liked it for all the insights it gave us into the world of jutsu-making, which suddenly seems expanded more than ever now...
Predictions: Since the preview from last chapter totally lied to us, I'm just going to predict here that the training continues. Bah.
Credits: Thanks to Anax for the Greenpeace comment, he's the one who put that crazy idea in my head. Also, I used Yoshitsune and HisshouBurakein's translations, many thanks to both of these guys...!
Looking forward to hearing your opinions!
Once again, just a quick reminder (since it's still a relatively new section), all of my previous reviews that I've done at MH are now being stored here!
And since I've been asked about the possibility of doing an archive of even older commentaries that I did at Naruto Forums before I was modded ( they were done for Chapters 247 to 280 in the Discussion threads ) - I have a bit of bad news regarding the subject. It's just been confirmed to me that they NO longer exist...! Darn it. This is because my older Comments were posted in the old Konoha News Stand forum, which was deleted as part of a mod's project over there to keep people from being spoiled. This was a movement which, ironically enough, I first led along with TenshiOni! And no, I didn't back them up, and yes, in retrospect I wish I had now. Sorry about that. Still, keep in mind that they were not as detailed as the ones I've been doing at MH since Chapter 300 though, so you're not missing much anyway... they were more or less just some typical, quick reactions, with a little humor here and a little ranting there... ^^ Anyway, without further ado...
* * * Gold Knight's Ten Comments on Naruto Chapter 316: Training Commences! * * *
1. Yup, Kishimoto, We Get Your Drift. While some fans may have thought of "water" because of the whirlpool theme of Naruto's name, the cyclone-like insignia on his left bicep does indicate that Kishimoto had "wind" in mind all along for Naruto's recently revealed element. So with the design being so prominent on this week's cover, Kishimoto almost seems to be reminding the readers that this had been his plan all along. Yes, yes, we know you're clever, Kishimoto-sama. Even so, I still would have preferred to see a little more creativity put in the overall presentation of the cover... an accompanying background that was related to the element, perhaps an approaching hurricane off in the distance, wouldn't have been too bad. Ah well. Probably just trying to beat the deadline and didn't have time, but this cover is still going to be the kind that'll be easily forgotten in time (at least, compared to some of the other covers we've seen so far.)
And incidentally, just for your personal amusement, here's another hint that Kishimoto might have had wind in mind for Naruto's element since way back when...
( Bonus points if you knew what was coming! )
2. Winds of War...! Pretty funny how Kishimoto must have been lurking around here on the boards to see what the fans thought, since a bunch of the questions from last week were answered this week...! One inquiry in particular was from disappointed fans who wondered aloud "why wind?" since they believed that it wouldn't be as powerful as the other basic elements. Well, hope you guys feel happier this week, 'cause Kakashi just Mangekyou'ed that assumption to pieces and completely Chidori'ed the leftovers! With his statement, we learned that in actuality wind is the strongest battle element in Naruto's world, as it possesses both the ability to blow down and cut through anything! Whoa! But hey, you know what, when you take in account that wind can change landforms, and yet is the most invisible force of the five elements, it doesn't surprise me in the least. Wind is not only a formidable weapon, it's also incredibly stealthy as well, and THAT is everything in a shinobi world.
The whole thing also seems to me kind of poetic as well, because in my mind, Naruto represents the current "wind of change" that's blowing through his continent. If he ever becomes Hokage, which will likely be his eventual accomplishment in the series, it won't be because he was able to cut through opponents with his wind jutsus, it'll be because he influenced so many people to alter their way of thinking. Always a difficult, S-Ranked task. And yes, I'm liking the idea of wind being Naruto's main weapon more than ever, obviously.
Another interesting thing is if you'll remember how the legend of the Kyuubi' powers were presented at the beginning of the series, it went something like this: "single swing of its nine tails would raise tsunamis and flatten mountains." So far, Naruto seems headed towards being able to do something of both to a certain extent.
3. Like Peas in a Pod? Alright, we haven't exactly gotten very far yet with finding out more about the history of Yamato and Kakashi's relationship with each other, but we still learned a few things here about them. Well, three things, anyway. First off, they were both remarkably similar in their reactions here to Naruto's puzzled facial expression (which was good for a chuckle or two here), so probably possessed the same kind of tense, somewhat impatient mindset when tutoring a kid like him. Two, they're apparently in a comfort zone and seem very used to working with each other, since Kakashi's quick whispering to Yamato was almost immediate.
And last but not least, they both apparently like to show off...!
We already know Kakashi likes to look cool and all in the most dire of situations, but Yamato? Looks like he doesn't even need much of a reason. Judging from his facial expression there at the end of Kakashi's suggestion, Yamato seemed more than eager to get the demonstration going. His reaction seemed to have that sense of boyish delight, "Woo-hoo! Here I go! Alright!"
Either that or he was extremely pleased that Kakashi had found a quick and easy solution to explaining the answer to Naruto, but Yamato seemed way too excited... Either way, I liked this scene, it seemed to even further humanize both Kakashi and Yamato. Boys will be boys, ya know? Yup, even grown senseis...!
4. What's next, Woodstock? And yeah, after Yamato's insane display of effortlessly pulling an 100 feet cliff out of the ground, conjuring a waterfall to burst out of the top, and then causing an instanteous growth of trees on the sides, I almost half-expected him to finish it all off by summoning a crowd of naked hippies to run around the cliff and gleefully throw flower petals in Naruto's general direction! But then again, that would REALLY be flaunting his power, wouldn't ya think?
One thing's for sure - Yamato would be an instant hit with the Greenpeace organization...!
5. The Jutsu Wheel! Ok, back to more serious matters! So with Yamato's demonstration, we got another answer to a question that was brought up last week: the origin of alternative elements such as the "wood" created by Mokuton no Jutsu.
If we're to take the senseis' explanation literally, it seems almost like chakra works somewhat similiar to a color wheel - you know, blue and red makes purple, yellow and blue makes green, and so on. (Reminds you of how Naruto described his Kyuubi chakra as red, doesn't it?) Furthermore, when one simultaneously activates two of the five basic (or "primary") elements, then a "secondary element" would be created, which in Yamato's case would be wood, and Haku's case would be ice.
All that sounds simple enough; the catch, though, is that the shinobi must possess something in his DNA for him to be able to manipulate the two elements at the same time in order to mix them... hence, a Bloodline Limit. This is supported by Haku's case, where his genetic ability allowed him to merge wind and water into ice. This might indicate that in fact the Mokuton no Jutsu is also an advanced Bloodline Limit of sorts, which doesn't surprise me considering it's such a rare ability. For some reason this ability must not been able to be passed on to Shodai's descendants (as Tsunade didn't have it) - perhaps a recessive trait?
However you want to describe it best, allow me to give props to ChuckinUpDeuces for being partially right in his prediction from last thread. Good going!
A fresh, new question, of course, would be how one could "create" a Bloodline Limit in order to be able to manipulate a secondary element, as the lesson would seem to foreshadow. My guess would be that it's not something you can "create," but rather "discover" as in finding out what your elemental strengths are and what your chakra and DNA are capable of doing, and then all that would be left would be becoming skilled at it. With Naruto's immense storage of chakra and the time advantages of the Kage Bunshin, as a result of his training, he could end up discovering an unique Bloodline Limit-type jutsu that only he can use, even before the Akatsuki hits town...! Boy, wouldn't the bad guys be in for a surprise then...
Edit: TheBolivianGuy reminded me of an Orochimaru scene where he described chakra, seals, and jutsus as "colors" which would certainly seem to indirectly support my metaphor here in that Kishimoto might have been thinking about it. Thanks!
6. "Yin" and "Yang" Nature Manipulation... Say What? Alright, even though it was a partial answer that we got here, here's what I would guess from Yamato's mention of "Yin" and "Yang" nature manipulation and what that's all about.
Let's stay with the "color wheel" metaphor. If we treat the Mokuton and Hyouton as combinations of primary elements, then Shikamaru and Chouji's abilities may be better thought as mixes of complementary elements. So for example, if Water (Blue) is mixed with its opposing secondary element (Orange) formed from two of the other primary elements (Red & Yellow in this case), then it would produce a "grey" jutsu like the Kagemane no Jutsu. Would be pretty appropriate considering the appearance of shadows, too...! Considering that Yin & Yang are a concept of two complimentary opposites, I wouldn't be surprised if this was the case. Of course, it probably goes without saying that these are Bloodline limits as well, since you practically have to have the capability to manipulate more than just two primary elements (three at least). Shikamaru may have even more potential than any of us realized (but of course, he's too lazy to really care about all that... heh!).
Another interesting note is that Yin is symbolized by water, and Yang is symbolized by fire, so that may be a hint at the elements most often used in "Yin and Yang" nature manipulation right there...
Still, gah! Kakashi's chastened Naruto twice before for being "too hasty," and yet, here he and Yamato are, trying to get the training going quickly without having to explain everything to their student. Ah well... at least we're promised an expanded explanation sometimes, possibly the next time when Shikamaru goes into action.
7. Boxing Training!? This may be one of my more obscure comments, but all fans of this boxing manga will hopefully understand what I'm talking about here. When Kakashi ordered Naruto to practice using his chakra in order to cut up a leaf, I was immediately reminded of how the main character, Ippo, in the first chapter of Hajime no Ippo, in order to become a boxer, had to train himself to catch ten falling leaves!
That, of course, made me wonder what Naruto would have been like if he had been a boxer in another life. Hmm... probably not all that different. XD
Anyway, that "Leaf" theme of Konohagakure just keeps coming back, doesn't it? First Naruto had to depend on what he remembered of Iruka's lectures of the "leaf focus" training in order to realize the second step of the Rasengan training, and now this! I wonder if the other villages used their own "symbol" this often in their teachings. Probably, though. In any case...
8. The Shadow Knight...! Please excuse the title, I just thought it looked cool. XD Anyway, Shikamaru is a Knight? No wonder I liked him so much.
But yeah, we didn't really learn anything new much here from Asuma's metaphor. We all already knew that Shikamaru was better known for his strategic genius than for his raw power, which is what Asuma was saying here with the "Knight" piece used in shogi games. The REAL interesting part came next...
9. More Foreshadowing...! Figures we'd get some more of that in Shikamaru's presence. He attracts shadows, after all.
This time, though, the possible foreshadowing is much more serious than earlier in the chapter, especially for Asuma fans...! Some have already suspected it before when Asuma went to Sandaime's grave, and it's looking like they might be right. If Naruto's possibly going to learn a Bloodline Limit-type jutsu, are we also possibly going to see Asuma go out like a "sacrifical shogi piece" in order to protect his "King?" Hopefully not! My immediate reaction was: "No way! We barely know the guy! Don't kill him now just when we were starting to learn more about him!" I mean, we JUST recently found out that he's the son of Sandaime, and aside from that, not much else. We know he likes smoking, can manipulate his chakra in order to extend the range of his weapons, and can knock down a bunch of Sound scouts in about 1.5 seconds. (I'm sure Asuma fans know a bit more, but you get what I mean.)
Unfortunately that's usually a major reason why less-known secondary characters are in the story - so they can be used to add some unexpected drama to the story... usually with their deaths. That's what happened to poor Hayate way back in the Chuunin Exams, old man Sandaime in his battle against Orochimaru, and not too long ago, Chiyo-baasma in the revival of Gaara. So yeah, I'm worried for Asuma now. Better remember him in your prayers tonight, kids!
Of course, Kishimoto may just be his usual "tricky devil" self again, trying to fool us all in thinking that's exactly what would happen. Wouldn't surprise me. Still, the foreshadowing of Chiyo's death did indeed come true, so who knows.
The other thing that was brought up here was who Asuma considered to be the "King." He hinted that Shikamaru would figure it out when the time came, but I say it's just that "precious person" that's earned itself such a niche as an on-going theme in Naruto ever since Haku died for Zabuza. Who might this person be to Asuma? Think about what the answer was for his father, and that's probably your answer right there. And that's likely why he came to understand his father better, what Tsunade came to realize when she became the Godaime, and something that Shikamaru will eventually find out as well, if he continues being a chuunin at Konohagakure. And definitely Naruto will feel the same way someday, if he doesn't already, as he comes closer to his goal of becoming Hokage.
10. Quick Work, Naruto...! Well, like Kakashi said, that sure didn't take too long for Naruto at all to finish the first step of the training. Want to place bets on how long it'll take for Naruto to complete this training with his Kage Bunshin?
I say, just a day, and probably only two more chapters. Should be relatively quicker than the Rasengan training. You've probably already voted, but in case you missed it, here's a poll where you can tell us what you think. Don't be shy, and vote early! We'll find out the answer soon enough.
RATING: 4 out of 5 stars. Like last chapter, this wasn't too involved a chapter except for the chakra lessons and the foreshadowing. In some ways I think Kishimoto might have committed something of a mistake by implying that Asuma might die just as the series was returning to more focus on secondary characters, which might upset some fans. Hopefully it's just false foreshadowing, but it does make for some interesting, grip-the-seat-of-your-chairs drama, which I guess makes Naruto anything but boring right now. All in all, I liked it for all the insights it gave us into the world of jutsu-making, which suddenly seems expanded more than ever now...
Predictions: Since the preview from last chapter totally lied to us, I'm just going to predict here that the training continues. Bah.
Credits: Thanks to Anax for the Greenpeace comment, he's the one who put that crazy idea in my head. Also, I used Yoshitsune and HisshouBurakein's translations, many thanks to both of these guys...!
Looking forward to hearing your opinions!
