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Hello dear readers, I’m back! Exams are not over, but who cares!!!
It’s a pleasure to present you another review after a long time and such developments, I hope this review is worthy of these events. But first of all we should appreciate the work of Binktopia Edited Manga group and Mangastream for their quality and quick work, so thanks guys, cheers to you!
Previously on Naruto
The first impressive development which serves as insight in a character, expands the relationships of Naruto and the overall story of the manga, is the appearance of Kushina, Naruto’s mother. Her appearance was sudden with an even more sudden behaviour, but came exactly when it needed, just like how Minato appeared back then. That’s why this repetitive approach by Kishi might’ve seemed like an ass-pull, but I think the reasons are more deeper than we expect. Judging by the conversation between Naruto and Kushina, I think it’s safe to say, that the similar appearance of Kushina to that of Minato shows how great they were as a couple, and if I might expand this relationship further than I would say, great ninja teamwork
.
Minato and Kushina are Naruto’s parents and this is obvious not just from bloodline point of view but their actions for their son as well. But besides this they were shinobi so their course of action gets more complicated because of this, not to mention the fact that Minato was the Hokage of Konoha. Seemingly abandoning Naruto to the cruelty of the brain-dead villagers, their appearances were timed when Naruto was facing his darkest moments. First with Pain, and then with Kyuubi the Jinchuuriki of Hatred itself(basically both times with Kyuubi), Naruto was facing important decisions. His emotional background was similar to Sasuke, and as he stated that they could’ve been easily in each other’s shoes right now, so seeing the dark path of Sasuke, we can realize that these decisions carry heavy meaning. So this is sort of a revelation of mine concerning Sasuke(off topic I know), but his journey was not just for showing his fall to the Dark Side, but that same journey reinforces the importance of Naruto’s decisions.
This is where the love of the parents kicks in and it has guiding purposes for Naruto. The meeting with Minato was more „manly” I could say, it began with a punch in the stomach, and it developed to a strategy meeting involving information about Madara, some talk about the world peace,and it concluded with a quick bye-bye, an advice and parental encouraging.
Now I would like to say that the meeting with Kushina was softer and warmer. Her sudden appearance, her sudden and unpredictable personality, added with Naruto’s personality sure isn’t warm and soft. First of all Kushina shows us what is the source of Naruto’s personality, and punches Naruto, and uses the catchphrase -tteba ne, of course similar to Naruto’s -ttba yo. So RIP peaceful meeting I thought, but eventually things turn around as Naruto asks about his parent’s past.
In this little flashback we learn about Kumo’s obsession about Konoha, once again they targeted someone from Konoha, though I would like to think that Kushina or her family at least were targeted from the time they were in Waterfall village, and I somehow feel that Kushina and her family’s moving to Konoha had some connection to that special chakra Kumo targeted. So Konoha isn’t the shelter offering paradise either.
But both Minato and Kushina wanted to be Hokage and this wish, which can be translated into „Will of Fire” was inherited by Naruto as well, along with that special chakra(see Yamato’s comment).
So this meeting went down as unexpected as it should have. From the sudden appearance of Kushina, to Naruto’s reactions, their exchange of words, all of them were chaotic, the mood changed suddenly from heated to peaceful and loving, then it transformed into serious and inspiring. It was a chaotic and stunning meeting between two equally unpredictable characters. I think these chapters were meant to set up the mood for what happened in this week's chapter what will happen. Everything is new, there are lots of unexpected revelations, it's a wild breath of fresh air, if I were to compare it to a sensation
The second impressive development was the action. It was explosive and stunning, just like what came afterwards. A little bit before Kushina, we witnessed a lightning-speed transformation into Sage Mode, a Gargantuan Rasengan, great tactics and all these culminated with a well timed Fuuton Rasen Shuriken, which gave Naruto an opening to syphon Kyuubi’s chakra. Indeed great improvement showed by Naruto, which has as base the training with Jiraiya, which settled the basics of battle for Naruto. Adding guts and quick thinking to this, and of course the high-level battles until now, Naruto has proven himself as a ninja who surpassed the best of the older generation, everything culminating with the tame of Kyuubi, eventually.
Kyuubi didn't surrender though, he quickly injected some of his malice into Naruto, so it was able to ressurect Yami Naruto, which was a pleasant surprise, but more pleasant being the fact, that Kishi chose the approach I would've chosen regarding what happens in the real world. The chakra cloak as predicted began to take over Naruto, and the moment Kyuubi inserted its malice, the left half became darker, reminding 4+ tails transformations.
But Minato and Kushina aren’t too bad either. Minato, though off-screen, took out a squad which kidnapped Kushina from Konoha, so a squad infiltrating in there and which managed to successfully escape from there, was taken out by a little shinobi. This is one proof of why Jiraiya praised Minato so much.
Kushina with one hand motion summoned chakra chains from Naruto and binded Kyuubi in an instant. This can raise many interesting questions. Is this the special nature of Kushina’s chakra(advanced shape recomposition) or maybe it has somekind of anti-Bijuu effect? One thing’s for sure Kushina is great, from both abilities point of view and personality point of view.
Let’s take a look to what do she and Naruto have to offer in this week’s chapter:
Kushina offered love, and obviously this calmed down Naruto, and finally his emotional background was stabilized. This means that his anger, and hatred, which came from isolation, loneliness and hatred of other villages disappeared completely. His source of darkness was refilled with his mother’s love, so he can have a clear mind and spirit. This is how Kushina gave strength to Naruto
The title sure is interesting. A new seal, which probably would imprison Kyuubi again. This is one of my predictions from earlier reviews, and that is imprisoning Kyuubi back, which would put Naruto in a new light, and I would acknowledge him as a complete shinobi. But a new seal? From where? Who is the source of the knowledge, because if I recall correctly the sealing scroll was unique, and it was the only one shoved inside Naruto. Things sure are getting interesting, Kishimoto is showing us that he is in the mood for answers and new questions, which means great story telling mood. But sealing Kyuubi back requires chakra-syphoning first, so let’s see how it goes.
If you don’t mind I would use Sasuke’s path of darkness and his hatred in comparison with Naruto in order to give us a hint of what powerful support is Kushina’s presence. In his burst of hatred Sasuke instantly upgraded his Susano’o, which probably works like a summon when uncontrolled: the more chakra one pours into the technique to more evolved it is, similar to Naruto summoning Bunta for the first time.
This time Naruto got words of love, of compassion and spent some quality time with his mother. Though this wouldn’t be enough, but we know that previously he met his father, so he got his „shot at love”. For our entertainment he accepts this chance at begins to engage Kyuubi in 6th gear, and supercharged with the power of love, Will of Fire whatever fancy name you like to call it, I prefer just satisfaction, accomplishment. He lived the day to see both his parents, and that completed the goal where his darkness took root.
First he injects his personality into the chakra and proceeds to take control of Kyuubi’s chakra by slowly pulling it towards him. You can notice that the number of chakra chains remains, so this burst of positive energy only affect that link with Kyuubi. This fact along with Kushina’s statement of her chakra not being able to hold back Kyuubi anymore are proof that those chains are made from Kushina’s chakra. But the chains are back in Naruto, similar to how they appeared from him, so my guess is that those chains have the special property of manipulating one’s consciousness or presence. As the chains were layed, Kyuubi didn’t continue his injection of malicious chakra into Naruto, though I bet he can do it in standing on his head as well. And in the exact moment, Naruto and his mom were sitting in a separate place without Kyuubi. So those chains stopped Kyuubi’s consciousness to be poured in Naruto, and transported Naruto’s consciousness somewhere else. I swear Naruto should visit his inner self more frequently, because there’s so much space, and everybody inside him seems to know it better than he does. I bet Itachi was able to personalize his surroundings in Naruto, thanks to the genjutsu power of the Sharingan.
But the chains are not really the issue here, and Kyuubi thinks the same as he rips of some the chains with surprising ease, as Naruto begins to launch his Rasengan Barrage once again. Kushina sure spent a lot of time with the fox, because with a slimy trick she trips Kyuubi, and Naruto bunshins in full sage mode enlarge those Rasengan’s to the Gargantuan model. This transformation in to Sage Mode is interesting as well. It seems like Naruto’s real body which is with Yamato and Bee is not moving, so Naruto can split his consciousness to gather natural energy, but to fight with Kyuubi as well. I think this is the case and not something like the original Naruto gathering natural energy from the inside, because even the clones transformed into sages, so there has to be a single source and that is the outside Naruto. But there’s no such thing as outside Naruto, because he obviously is fighting a battle of fierce wills inside himself, so he instinctively or maybe on purpose can split his consciousness, or is able to connect to the real world while fighting, whatever. Take your pick. He did this before though I thought that it was due to his speed training with Sage Mode. I guess that’s no longer relevant, since this is an entirely new level.
Faced with all those Rasengans, Kyuubi seems helpless, and the scene reminded me of the phrase, light at the end of the tunnel, because it seems like Kyuubi has an enormous light source ahead of it, and it could represent the end.
But of course this is not the end, but Naruto foresaw this wisely, and prepared another clone this time with a FRS. Honestly I was quite surprise by Naruto's quick action, his successive moves made me feel that he's more determined than ever, maybe Sasuke's robot face will be the only one to cause such determination again, and I understand him, I could punch such a face all day long
Kyuubi is surprised as well, because he never thought Naruto was this strong. I know there's a FRS rubbed to its face, but somehow I manage to read some desperation from Kyuubi's face, but it could be that his statement is making me feel this way.
What's interesting though, is Naruto not throwing FRS, but keeping Kyuubi away, pushing him. This immense power and mostly control is something not seen before, and it also proves great thinking from Naruto. If you cannot pull out the chakra, then push away the malicious personality. Awesome!
He is also using clones to not just help with the pull, but some of the clones actually created other links with Kyuubi in order to syphon the chakra from multiple places. Another great idea, and when the clones disappear the result is obvious: he becomes one with the Force.
I can make guesses all day long, I can even do this while punching Sasuke's robot face and I wouldn't know what this form is, but I'm sure this thing will appear in the future as well, or some reference will be made, so I'm not worried. But I'd like to try nonetheless.
The first thing which pops out our eyes is obviously this plasma-like form of Naruto. I'm probably close, but I think this is the combination of Sage Chakra, Kyuubi's chakra, and we can see it this way, because of the special nature of Naruto's chakra inherited by Kushina. That special chakra could withstand Kyuubi's malice, so it must've been something with infinite goodness or something like this, basically very special. The fact that Kyuubi's chakra is without intent this time, is possible that finally Naruto's special chakra manifested itself, since we know that large part of Naruto's chakra was busy holding back Kyuubi. Adding the upgrading characteristics of Sage chakra to all this, we get God-mode Naruto.
The second thing, which is more interesting I think, is the giant seal, which looks like that it's a continuation of Minato's 4 element seal. I think this was also set up by Minato.
We know that ninjutsu came from Rikudo sennin, and he was also the first Jinchuuriki capable of sealing Jyuubi into himself, then split it up in nine parts, basically he could do everything. This means that he must've known some tremendously high level sealing techniques, so knowing that Minato's seal is a masterpiece itself, which incorporates many automathic mechanisms, like popping out parents, releasing Kyuubi's chakra into Naruto etc., we can conclude that what we are seeing on Naruto is design of the complete seal which was done by Minato, and it is probably a part of the sealing art that Rikudo left behind, the scroll being just the key to unlocking this God-mode.(see the discussion in my last review about the cave drawings for a more general idea).
This being the complete form it means that it has the property of releasing the entire amount of Kyuubi chakra into Naruto, which is happening in the meanwhile. So my guess is that while Naruto drew more and more chakra out of Kyuubi, that seal was already growing more and more, so by growing it fastened the process, until Naruto siphoned everything. So this seal is the ultimate filter/siphon no jutsu if I may call it that way.
Aside from this technical analysis, the whole panel carries huge symbolic meaning and foreshadowing, from Chosen One, to Rikudo's heir, Bringer of Balance, God Naruto, Infinitely Good and Forgiving Naruto etc.
The panels below support this:
As he uses a locking motion on his seal, he imprisons Kyuubi into a new cell, and Kyuubi recognizes this as Rikudo's technique. The phrase is not finished, but I think he's referring to the cage, as he recognizes it. The design of the cage is new, but the lock is the same as before, which I think reinforces my theory of Minato learning some Rikudo-ryu sealing jutsu, his 4 element seal being a product of that research, but the complete seal is the one we saw earlier.
This is what the title was referring to. It's interesting, though this whole new experience of Naruto can also come from just the fact that he absorbed Kyuubi's chakra, which was one part of Jyuubi and Rikudo, the necklace's presence is extremely intriguing for example.
The important thing is, that Naruto succeeded in an awesome way, with lots of developments regarding characters, story, whatever you like. It was an awesome trip, and the result is a calm, collected Naruto who promises that they will see each other. Well not with these exact words, but Naruto is thinking: Wait, just wait..., I guess for another meeting(detailed explanation can be found in my first reply...I forgot to put it in here
).
I was wondering if Naruto's character can receive any more development than this. I mean he tamed Kyuubi, made up his mind about Sasuke, met his parents, got acknowledged by the villagers, so I was thinking if emotionally there's any room for something. Well first it would be his love life, but he's not much of a womanizer, though he showed some guts, even if he was talking to his mom.
I guess another development would be his next meeting with Kyuubi, which could be played out with something unexpected, or with some talk no jutsu to change Kyuubi, who knows? It is obvious though that Naruto is feeling sorry for Kyuubi being in prison again.
But who has time to think about things like these when Kushina pops a controversy, making us talking about it for at least 1 week and half
Kushina promises another awesome ride in the past, and probably a ride that was awaited for I don't know, the beginning of the manga. So many things happened from those first panels, that it's very hard to summarize what will be told. Madara will definitely be included, because unleashing Kyuubi, while there was a Jinchuuriki present, means infiltration and fighting. So some panels vs. Kushina, or maybe some 1 on 1 against Minato would be awesome. But details about the Kyuubi attack itself, how Minato made the seal, maybe some last words to Kushina. Basically if this won't have at least 20 pages, then I think it will be told in two chapters, but the explosive part will surely be left for #500. The manga began with the Kyuubi attack, and after 500 chapters, Kishi creates a sort of end of a cycle, explaining what happened 16 years ago.
Quick summary/Opinions:
Great fanservice mixed with awesome storytelling abilities this chapter is certainly the jewel of the fight chapters in this arc. It definitely deserves the word climax or peak.
I mentioned character development at the beginning of the review, which was meant for the previous chapters, but that development is continued in this chapter with Naruto finally drinking his shot at love, and with a supercharged drunken fervor he defeated Kyuubi in a stunning battle.
I also mentioned a cycle earlier and how Kishimoto chose to explain what happened in the beginning of the manga. He thus ends the cycle, which represents Naruto's growth from the first chapter until now. He wrapped up Naruto's links to the past, by introducing his mother, so that after this whole confrontation and independent Naruto would emerge. I think this is a vey nice touch to the story, and it feels like good story-telling.
Kushina's character development though is on the roll, as we still need to hear what happened to her in the past, but as far as her relationship with Naruto goes, that's over, and it was something...let's say original.
Story development and story cohesion(past recollection) are plenty in this chapter, as we are left with a controversial cliffhanger, but we just finished reading the tame of Kyuubi, and we received some more signs of Naruto being the Destined Child.
The action scenes were great, Naruto's battle tactics, the revelations...what can I add: awesome. I've never felt this action since the Pain Invasion arc, which for me was the jewel of them all(regarding the action).
The art was okay as well, though not top-notch: I liked God-Naruto, the new seal, but my favorite is the change of Kyuubi after stripped by its chakra. Before he was high and mighty, with great tails, a strong body, but after he became skinny and weak, which proves attention to details from Kishimoto's behalf.
The chapter itself is somewhere between 8 and 9, let's say 8.75/1, with a special 0.25 addition from my subjectivity. Character development present, story related elements present, but I lacked some humor, and some more awesome panels during the fight and generally better art approach.
Predictions/Want to happen:
Well this section of the review is child's play. Guess what will happen next?
Kisame jumps out from Samehada and Kabuto battles Raikage, in order to search for Bee
I just want a serious, not rushed explanation about how the hell could Kushina be a Jinchuuriki. I won't bother starting different thoughts of how can that be possible, so I leave this discussion to you, but I beg you please do not dismiss this as plothole, or impossible. But of course this is not a requirement to post in this thread, so feel free to post anything.
I somehow see Sasuke in the next chapter as a parallel drawn between him and Madara from Kushina's story. So Sasuke shown as he sets out, along with Naruto who will finish his business, would be a great start for this new cycle of 500 chapters(?), and some change of scenery other than the past would be extra-welcome
With this the review comes to an end. I said I will be away for 3 chapters, but I didn't count for such developments, and the fact that there will be a pause next week. It was a pleasure writing the review, I hope it was a pleasure for you to read it(sorry for spelling mistakes, eventually they'll get fixed), enjoy the chapter while you still can, and thanks Binktopia and SleepyFans for the scans.
Mata ne!
It’s a pleasure to present you another review after a long time and such developments, I hope this review is worthy of these events. But first of all we should appreciate the work of Binktopia Edited Manga group and Mangastream for their quality and quick work, so thanks guys, cheers to you!
Previously on Naruto
The first impressive development which serves as insight in a character, expands the relationships of Naruto and the overall story of the manga, is the appearance of Kushina, Naruto’s mother. Her appearance was sudden with an even more sudden behaviour, but came exactly when it needed, just like how Minato appeared back then. That’s why this repetitive approach by Kishi might’ve seemed like an ass-pull, but I think the reasons are more deeper than we expect. Judging by the conversation between Naruto and Kushina, I think it’s safe to say, that the similar appearance of Kushina to that of Minato shows how great they were as a couple, and if I might expand this relationship further than I would say, great ninja teamwork
.Minato and Kushina are Naruto’s parents and this is obvious not just from bloodline point of view but their actions for their son as well. But besides this they were shinobi so their course of action gets more complicated because of this, not to mention the fact that Minato was the Hokage of Konoha. Seemingly abandoning Naruto to the cruelty of the brain-dead villagers, their appearances were timed when Naruto was facing his darkest moments. First with Pain, and then with Kyuubi the Jinchuuriki of Hatred itself(basically both times with Kyuubi), Naruto was facing important decisions. His emotional background was similar to Sasuke, and as he stated that they could’ve been easily in each other’s shoes right now, so seeing the dark path of Sasuke, we can realize that these decisions carry heavy meaning. So this is sort of a revelation of mine concerning Sasuke(off topic I know), but his journey was not just for showing his fall to the Dark Side, but that same journey reinforces the importance of Naruto’s decisions.
This is where the love of the parents kicks in and it has guiding purposes for Naruto. The meeting with Minato was more „manly” I could say, it began with a punch in the stomach, and it developed to a strategy meeting involving information about Madara, some talk about the world peace,and it concluded with a quick bye-bye, an advice and parental encouraging.
Now I would like to say that the meeting with Kushina was softer and warmer. Her sudden appearance, her sudden and unpredictable personality, added with Naruto’s personality sure isn’t warm and soft. First of all Kushina shows us what is the source of Naruto’s personality, and punches Naruto, and uses the catchphrase -tteba ne, of course similar to Naruto’s -ttba yo. So RIP peaceful meeting I thought, but eventually things turn around as Naruto asks about his parent’s past.
In this little flashback we learn about Kumo’s obsession about Konoha, once again they targeted someone from Konoha, though I would like to think that Kushina or her family at least were targeted from the time they were in Waterfall village, and I somehow feel that Kushina and her family’s moving to Konoha had some connection to that special chakra Kumo targeted. So Konoha isn’t the shelter offering paradise either.
But both Minato and Kushina wanted to be Hokage and this wish, which can be translated into „Will of Fire” was inherited by Naruto as well, along with that special chakra(see Yamato’s comment).
So this meeting went down as unexpected as it should have. From the sudden appearance of Kushina, to Naruto’s reactions, their exchange of words, all of them were chaotic, the mood changed suddenly from heated to peaceful and loving, then it transformed into serious and inspiring. It was a chaotic and stunning meeting between two equally unpredictable characters. I think these chapters were meant to set up the mood for what happened in this week's chapter what will happen. Everything is new, there are lots of unexpected revelations, it's a wild breath of fresh air, if I were to compare it to a sensation
The second impressive development was the action. It was explosive and stunning, just like what came afterwards. A little bit before Kushina, we witnessed a lightning-speed transformation into Sage Mode, a Gargantuan Rasengan, great tactics and all these culminated with a well timed Fuuton Rasen Shuriken, which gave Naruto an opening to syphon Kyuubi’s chakra. Indeed great improvement showed by Naruto, which has as base the training with Jiraiya, which settled the basics of battle for Naruto. Adding guts and quick thinking to this, and of course the high-level battles until now, Naruto has proven himself as a ninja who surpassed the best of the older generation, everything culminating with the tame of Kyuubi, eventually.
Kyuubi didn't surrender though, he quickly injected some of his malice into Naruto, so it was able to ressurect Yami Naruto, which was a pleasant surprise, but more pleasant being the fact, that Kishi chose the approach I would've chosen regarding what happens in the real world. The chakra cloak as predicted began to take over Naruto, and the moment Kyuubi inserted its malice, the left half became darker, reminding 4+ tails transformations.
But Minato and Kushina aren’t too bad either. Minato, though off-screen, took out a squad which kidnapped Kushina from Konoha, so a squad infiltrating in there and which managed to successfully escape from there, was taken out by a little shinobi. This is one proof of why Jiraiya praised Minato so much.
Kushina with one hand motion summoned chakra chains from Naruto and binded Kyuubi in an instant. This can raise many interesting questions. Is this the special nature of Kushina’s chakra(advanced shape recomposition) or maybe it has somekind of anti-Bijuu effect? One thing’s for sure Kushina is great, from both abilities point of view and personality point of view.
Let’s take a look to what do she and Naruto have to offer in this week’s chapter:
A mother’s words give him strength...the battle of Nine-Tails and Naruto reaches it’s climax
Kushina offered love, and obviously this calmed down Naruto, and finally his emotional background was stabilized. This means that his anger, and hatred, which came from isolation, loneliness and hatred of other villages disappeared completely. His source of darkness was refilled with his mother’s love, so he can have a clear mind and spirit. This is how Kushina gave strength to Naruto
The title sure is interesting. A new seal, which probably would imprison Kyuubi again. This is one of my predictions from earlier reviews, and that is imprisoning Kyuubi back, which would put Naruto in a new light, and I would acknowledge him as a complete shinobi. But a new seal? From where? Who is the source of the knowledge, because if I recall correctly the sealing scroll was unique, and it was the only one shoved inside Naruto. Things sure are getting interesting, Kishimoto is showing us that he is in the mood for answers and new questions, which means great story telling mood. But sealing Kyuubi back requires chakra-syphoning first, so let’s see how it goes.
If you don’t mind I would use Sasuke’s path of darkness and his hatred in comparison with Naruto in order to give us a hint of what powerful support is Kushina’s presence. In his burst of hatred Sasuke instantly upgraded his Susano’o, which probably works like a summon when uncontrolled: the more chakra one pours into the technique to more evolved it is, similar to Naruto summoning Bunta for the first time.
This time Naruto got words of love, of compassion and spent some quality time with his mother. Though this wouldn’t be enough, but we know that previously he met his father, so he got his „shot at love”
. For our entertainment he accepts this chance at begins to engage Kyuubi in 6th gear, and supercharged with the power of love, Will of Fire whatever fancy name you like to call it, I prefer just satisfaction, accomplishment. He lived the day to see both his parents, and that completed the goal where his darkness took root.First he injects his personality into the chakra and proceeds to take control of Kyuubi’s chakra by slowly pulling it towards him. You can notice that the number of chakra chains remains, so this burst of positive energy only affect that link with Kyuubi. This fact along with Kushina’s statement of her chakra not being able to hold back Kyuubi anymore are proof that those chains are made from Kushina’s chakra. But the chains are back in Naruto, similar to how they appeared from him, so my guess is that those chains have the special property of manipulating one’s consciousness or presence. As the chains were layed, Kyuubi didn’t continue his injection of malicious chakra into Naruto, though I bet he can do it in standing on his head as well. And in the exact moment, Naruto and his mom were sitting in a separate place without Kyuubi. So those chains stopped Kyuubi’s consciousness to be poured in Naruto, and transported Naruto’s consciousness somewhere else. I swear Naruto should visit his inner self more frequently, because there’s so much space, and everybody inside him seems to know it better than he does. I bet Itachi was able to personalize his surroundings in Naruto, thanks to the genjutsu power of the Sharingan.
But the chains are not really the issue here, and Kyuubi thinks the same as he rips of some the chains with surprising ease, as Naruto begins to launch his Rasengan Barrage once again. Kushina sure spent a lot of time with the fox, because with a slimy trick she trips Kyuubi, and Naruto bunshins in full sage mode enlarge those Rasengan’s to the Gargantuan model. This transformation in to Sage Mode is interesting as well. It seems like Naruto’s real body which is with Yamato and Bee is not moving, so Naruto can split his consciousness to gather natural energy, but to fight with Kyuubi as well. I think this is the case and not something like the original Naruto gathering natural energy from the inside, because even the clones transformed into sages, so there has to be a single source and that is the outside Naruto. But there’s no such thing as outside Naruto, because he obviously is fighting a battle of fierce wills inside himself, so he instinctively or maybe on purpose can split his consciousness, or is able to connect to the real world while fighting, whatever. Take your pick. He did this before though I thought that it was due to his speed training with Sage Mode. I guess that’s no longer relevant, since this is an entirely new level.
Faced with all those Rasengans, Kyuubi seems helpless, and the scene reminded me of the phrase, light at the end of the tunnel, because it seems like Kyuubi has an enormous light source ahead of it, and it could represent the end.
But of course this is not the end, but Naruto foresaw this wisely, and prepared another clone this time with a FRS. Honestly I was quite surprise by Naruto's quick action, his successive moves made me feel that he's more determined than ever, maybe Sasuke's robot face will be the only one to cause such determination again, and I understand him, I could punch such a face all day long
Kyuubi is surprised as well, because he never thought Naruto was this strong. I know there's a FRS rubbed to its face, but somehow I manage to read some desperation from Kyuubi's face, but it could be that his statement is making me feel this way.
What's interesting though, is Naruto not throwing FRS, but keeping Kyuubi away, pushing him. This immense power and mostly control is something not seen before, and it also proves great thinking from Naruto. If you cannot pull out the chakra, then push away the malicious personality. Awesome!
He is also using clones to not just help with the pull, but some of the clones actually created other links with Kyuubi in order to syphon the chakra from multiple places. Another great idea, and when the clones disappear the result is obvious: he becomes one with the Force.
I can make guesses all day long, I can even do this while punching Sasuke's robot face and I wouldn't know what this form is, but I'm sure this thing will appear in the future as well, or some reference will be made, so I'm not worried. But I'd like to try nonetheless.
The first thing which pops out our eyes is obviously this plasma-like form of Naruto. I'm probably close, but I think this is the combination of Sage Chakra, Kyuubi's chakra, and we can see it this way, because of the special nature of Naruto's chakra inherited by Kushina. That special chakra could withstand Kyuubi's malice, so it must've been something with infinite goodness or something like this, basically very special. The fact that Kyuubi's chakra is without intent this time, is possible that finally Naruto's special chakra manifested itself, since we know that large part of Naruto's chakra was busy holding back Kyuubi. Adding the upgrading characteristics of Sage chakra to all this, we get God-mode Naruto.
The second thing, which is more interesting I think, is the giant seal, which looks like that it's a continuation of Minato's 4 element seal. I think this was also set up by Minato.
We know that ninjutsu came from Rikudo sennin, and he was also the first Jinchuuriki capable of sealing Jyuubi into himself, then split it up in nine parts, basically he could do everything. This means that he must've known some tremendously high level sealing techniques, so knowing that Minato's seal is a masterpiece itself, which incorporates many automathic mechanisms, like popping out parents, releasing Kyuubi's chakra into Naruto etc., we can conclude that what we are seeing on Naruto is design of the complete seal which was done by Minato, and it is probably a part of the sealing art that Rikudo left behind, the scroll being just the key to unlocking this God-mode.(see the discussion in my last review about the cave drawings for a more general idea).
This being the complete form it means that it has the property of releasing the entire amount of Kyuubi chakra into Naruto, which is happening in the meanwhile. So my guess is that while Naruto drew more and more chakra out of Kyuubi, that seal was already growing more and more, so by growing it fastened the process, until Naruto siphoned everything. So this seal is the ultimate filter/siphon no jutsu if I may call it that way.
Aside from this technical analysis, the whole panel carries huge symbolic meaning and foreshadowing, from Chosen One, to Rikudo's heir, Bringer of Balance, God Naruto, Infinitely Good and Forgiving Naruto etc.
The panels below support this:
As he uses a locking motion on his seal, he imprisons Kyuubi into a new cell, and Kyuubi recognizes this as Rikudo's technique. The phrase is not finished, but I think he's referring to the cage, as he recognizes it. The design of the cage is new, but the lock is the same as before, which I think reinforces my theory of Minato learning some Rikudo-ryu sealing jutsu, his 4 element seal being a product of that research, but the complete seal is the one we saw earlier.
This is what the title was referring to. It's interesting, though this whole new experience of Naruto can also come from just the fact that he absorbed Kyuubi's chakra, which was one part of Jyuubi and Rikudo, the necklace's presence is extremely intriguing for example.
The important thing is, that Naruto succeeded in an awesome way, with lots of developments regarding characters, story, whatever you like. It was an awesome trip, and the result is a calm, collected Naruto who promises that they will see each other. Well not with these exact words, but Naruto is thinking: Wait, just wait..., I guess for another meeting(detailed explanation can be found in my first reply...I forgot to put it in here
). I was wondering if Naruto's character can receive any more development than this. I mean he tamed Kyuubi, made up his mind about Sasuke, met his parents, got acknowledged by the villagers, so I was thinking if emotionally there's any room for something. Well first it would be his love life, but he's not much of a womanizer, though he showed some guts, even if he was talking to his mom.
I guess another development would be his next meeting with Kyuubi, which could be played out with something unexpected, or with some talk no jutsu to change Kyuubi, who knows? It is obvious though that Naruto is feeling sorry for Kyuubi being in prison again.
But who has time to think about things like these when Kushina pops a controversy, making us talking about it for at least 1 week and half
Kushina promises another awesome ride in the past, and probably a ride that was awaited for I don't know, the beginning of the manga. So many things happened from those first panels, that it's very hard to summarize what will be told. Madara will definitely be included, because unleashing Kyuubi, while there was a Jinchuuriki present, means infiltration and fighting. So some panels vs. Kushina, or maybe some 1 on 1 against Minato would be awesome. But details about the Kyuubi attack itself, how Minato made the seal, maybe some last words to Kushina. Basically if this won't have at least 20 pages, then I think it will be told in two chapters, but the explosive part will surely be left for #500. The manga began with the Kyuubi attack, and after 500 chapters, Kishi creates a sort of end of a cycle, explaining what happened 16 years ago.
Quick summary/Opinions:
Great fanservice mixed with awesome storytelling abilities this chapter is certainly the jewel of the fight chapters in this arc. It definitely deserves the word climax or peak.
I mentioned character development at the beginning of the review, which was meant for the previous chapters, but that development is continued in this chapter with Naruto finally drinking his shot at love, and with a supercharged drunken fervor he defeated Kyuubi in a stunning battle.
I also mentioned a cycle earlier and how Kishimoto chose to explain what happened in the beginning of the manga. He thus ends the cycle, which represents Naruto's growth from the first chapter until now. He wrapped up Naruto's links to the past, by introducing his mother, so that after this whole confrontation and independent Naruto would emerge. I think this is a vey nice touch to the story, and it feels like good story-telling.
Kushina's character development though is on the roll, as we still need to hear what happened to her in the past, but as far as her relationship with Naruto goes, that's over, and it was something...let's say original.
Story development and story cohesion(past recollection) are plenty in this chapter, as we are left with a controversial cliffhanger, but we just finished reading the tame of Kyuubi, and we received some more signs of Naruto being the Destined Child.
The action scenes were great, Naruto's battle tactics, the revelations...what can I add: awesome. I've never felt this action since the Pain Invasion arc, which for me was the jewel of them all(regarding the action).
The art was okay as well, though not top-notch: I liked God-Naruto, the new seal, but my favorite is the change of Kyuubi after stripped by its chakra. Before he was high and mighty, with great tails, a strong body, but after he became skinny and weak, which proves attention to details from Kishimoto's behalf.
The chapter itself is somewhere between 8 and 9, let's say 8.75/1, with a special 0.25 addition from my subjectivity. Character development present, story related elements present, but I lacked some humor, and some more awesome panels during the fight and generally better art approach.
Predictions/Want to happen:
Well this section of the review is child's play. Guess what will happen next?
Kisame jumps out from Samehada and Kabuto battles Raikage, in order to search for BeeI just want a serious, not rushed explanation about how the hell could Kushina be a Jinchuuriki. I won't bother starting different thoughts of how can that be possible, so I leave this discussion to you, but I beg you please do not dismiss this as plothole, or impossible. But of course this is not a requirement to post in this thread, so feel free to post anything.
I somehow see Sasuke in the next chapter as a parallel drawn between him and Madara from Kushina's story. So Sasuke shown as he sets out, along with Naruto who will finish his business, would be a great start for this new cycle of 500 chapters(?), and some change of scenery other than the past would be extra-welcome
With this the review comes to an end. I said I will be away for 3 chapters, but I didn't count for such developments, and the fact that there will be a pause next week. It was a pleasure writing the review, I hope it was a pleasure for you to read it(sorry for spelling mistakes, eventually they'll get fixed), enjoy the chapter while you still can, and thanks Binktopia and SleepyFans for the scans.
Mata ne!
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