Naruto Chapter 583 – Who is This? – Review / Thoughts

Let me start by saying that Naruto chapter 583 is a full chapter of flashbacks, though thankfully they all contain new material, that being more of Kabuto’s past / backstory.

I said last week that I wanted more action, and while that hasn’t changed, on this occasion I am not going to complain about not getting what I was hoping for. In fact, this is kind of what I was also hoping for, that being more info on Kabuto. I complained about the lack of info we got from last week’s chapter considering what should be a long and storied life for Kabuto, so this chapter definitely delivers more on that which is something I am grateful for.

As I said, the whole chapter is flashbacks to Kabuto’s backstory, so if you don’t like this type of chapter or if you don’t like Kabuto, then you are probably going to find this pretty boring admittedly. It was pretty interesting though I have to say, as we got to see both Orochimaru and Danzo in their younger days (and working together), plus we found out how Orochimaru first met Kabuto.

Danzo again showed in this chapter that he was willing to play dirty to get what he wants, with this time him threatening to stop all funding to the orphanage Kabuto was at unless Nonou (Kabuto’s “Mother”) agreed to take part in a very long and risky mission to gather intelligence in the hidden rock village. At first of course Nonou didn’t want to leave the orphanage, and hence why Danzo resorted to the threats. Even after she eventually agreed, Danzo told them that since one of the Root members of his team died in the last mission, he would be taking a child from the orphanage as a replacement. Of course there are objections to that too, but Kabuto is outside and overhears the whole thing, and with Orochimaru’s earlier words about how he would make a good shinobi still clearly resonating inside of him, Kabuto volunteers himself to go so that the orphanage won’t suffer.

It goes to show how much Kabuto valued his adopted family and home, as despite having no interest whatsoever in becoming a ninja, he still gave in and volunteered himself just so that the funding for the orphanage wouldn’t be stopped. Oh, also slightly going back a bit, when one of the other people in charge said that there was no way Danzo could stop their funding because they had an agreement with the Third Hokage himself, one of the hooded guys along with Orochimaru made a thinly veiled threat by saying that it would be very easy for a ninja to sneak in and rob the orphanage considering they couldn’t afford to hire a bodyguard / security. It shows just what Danzo and Root were capable of, and that’s why it’s no real surprise to me that Orochimaru once worked alongside Danzo.

What really stood out to me though was one panel in particular, where even after Kabuto put glasses on his mother (after she repeatedly asked Kabuto who he was years later when Kabuto was there healing her, but of course didn’t have her glasses on) she still didn’t recognise him. The panel was brilliant, because it genuinely showed the moment where it looked like Kabuto just broke inside. I mean, his whole life was a mystery to him apart from his time at the orphanage and the love and bonds he had developed with her, so when the person he cared about most didn’t even recognise his face anymore, it’s no wonder he apparently snapped / became broken like that. Shortly after that, when Kabuto was looking in to a small puddle of water wondering why his own “mother” didn’t even recognise him and what the point of his existance even was anymore, Orochimaru appeared and told him that he remembers who Kabuto is.

Of course I never covered every incident that happened in the chapter, but those were the main focal points in any case. It was really interesting actually having the chance to see Danzo and Orochimaru together like that, as we knew from Tobi’s comments during Sasuke’s fight with Danzo that they had some sort of previous affilliation / relationship. Danzo once again proved that he was willing to do absolutely anything for what he considered to be the greater good, and also how Orochimaru first met Kabuto back when he was a boy, and how years later they met again shortly after the whole incident with Kabuto’s mother.

Since it was clear from the start of the chapter that Orochimaru had a strong interest in Kabuto, some people are already speculating that Orochimaru could well have played a hand in the later events too, saying that he may well have put some kind of spell on Kabuto’s mother so she would forget who he was, or even setting up the events leading to her dying. Although nobody can say for sure, it would come as little surprise if it did turn out to be the case considering how little regard Orochimaru has for others, as well as his constant desire to recruit people he sees potential in.

But yes, although not a fantastic chapter, I still found it quite enjoyable just for getting to see how Orochimaru and Kabuto met, and also seeing Danzo and Orochimaru together. Next week looks like it could well be another flashback chapter too, and although seeing more of Kabuto’s past would by no means be a bad thing, it is getting a bit tiresome with every single chapter now being complete flashbacks. Decent chapter though overall, and hopefully soon we can move back to happenings and battles in the present.

Naruto Chapter 582 – Nothing – Review / Thoughts

I might as well get this out of the way now: For anyone who has been looking forward to this week to see Izanami, you will be disappointed, as it is nowhere to be seen here. Instead we are given a flashback to some of Kabuto’s childhood.

So yes, this was another flashback heavy chapter with little actual fighting happening. The past few weeks have been like this now, and to be honest it would be nice to see some proper action again soon. While in recent weeks it has been involving Itachi and Sasuke, this chapter is all about Kabuto.

As you can see from the picture above, he has grown extremely confident and arrogant of late, and he clearly considers himself to be a step above any other shinobi at present. Of course considering he created an army of Edo Tensei, powered up Zetsus and himself has a new form of Sage Mode, he has clearly accomplished a lot since his days as Orochimaru’s henchman, but it still doesn’t sit right for the readers who know that inevitably this is going to be the typical villain’s speech bragging how good they are, only for the next week or two coming and them getting their asses handed to them by whoever they are fighting.

Kabuto did at least damage Itachi in this chapter though. He used a jutsu that allowed him to control inanimate objects, and used the jutsu to make the stalagmites in the cave come down on top of Sasuke and Itachi. Sasuke was protected by Susanoo, but only because Itachi slowed himself down to do it to protect Sasuke, and thus ended up getting himself impaled by them. Of course, being an Edo Tensei means it didn’t really make any difference to Itachi. Perhaps the best moment of the chapter then followed with Kabuto charging towards Itachi, ready to rewrite the tag in him now that he was incapacitated, only for Sasuke to use Amaterasu to create a barrier of black flames around himself and Itachi so that Kabuto couldn’t get near them, something that even impressed Kabuto as it was using such a powerful destructive attack as a defensive tactic.

But aside from that, it was all pretty much Kabuto backstory. Now I am usually one of the first people to stand up for backstories and I do enjoy them an awful lot most of the time, but I don’t know, despite Kabuto being one of the main villains and having the possibility of a very interesting history considering he was an orphan and a spy, instead it just felt pretty flat. It was still good getting a glimpse of how he was found and what he was like as a child considering that he has been in Naruto for ages and this is the first real look we have had at him, but it just wasn’t that interesting.

The woman who took in Kabuto actually looked quite a lot like an older version of him, so maybe a bit later something will be revealed about that. But anyway, basically the whole flashback was Kabuto explaining how he has never known who he is, he was found with no name and no memories of even his own parents, so he has always been “nothing” and “nobody”. It almost echoes Tobi’s own comments of late, except for the fact Kabuto seems to have some idea of who he is now, and of course it’s clear he has no problems trying to make a name for himself and be a someone. Heck, it seems to me like that’s very much what he has really been wanting from the start, some form of true identity and recognition.

Overall it was a pretty meh chapter, nothing exciting happened and it was very flashback heavy as I said. It was very disappointing not seeing Izanami this week after the last chapter, but to be honest there just wasn’t anything that made this chapter stand out as anything great, but at the same time it wasn’t terrible either. This was basically just an extremely average chapter, and even if you’re a Kabuto fan I can’t see you enjoying this chapter especially. Hopefully next week shall be an improvement.

Naruto Chapter 581 – Everyone’s Leaf – Review / Thoughts

In the past few chapters we have seen a focus solely on Sasuke and Itachi vs Kabuto, and Naruto chapter 581 is no different in that regard.

This was a kind of interesting chapter in all honesty, the thought of an actual battle was thrown out the window in favour of more talking.

While this type of chapter isn’t to everyone’s taste, I have always been a fan of them, as they usually end up revealing something big or important. What was interesting about this is the way that Sasuke was acting / reacting to what Kabuto had to say, and it actually revealed more about Sasuke’s nature now than I expected. After the recent chapters, I commented on how Sasuke seemed to be back to his old ways where he wasn’t just full of hatred and wanting to destroy everything in the name of revenge, and admittedly I was thinking that maybe he would stay that way after meeting Itachi, but after this it has raised fresh doubts in my mind.

I thought it was pretty awesome how Kabuto was still trying to talk Sasuke in to siding with him, and basically trying to work on the psyche of Sasuke. Kabuto told Sasuke once again about what a liar Itachi is, but also told him in harsher and more realistic words that the Itachi Sasuke sees in front of him now is nothing more than a dead wooden doll, and that he has no reason to feel guilty if he wants to switch over to Kabuto’s side.

Then came my favourite part of the chapter in the form of a short flashback Sasuke has, that appears to have happened shortly after Itachi’s death. A hooded Sasuke is actually in Konoha at a bar, and listens to a conversation a group of Konoha ninja are having about the news of Itachi’s death. They are all glad Itachi was killed, with one of them saying it was fitting punishment that one of Itachi’s comrades was the one to kill him considering Itachi had massacred his own comrades. Another person then says how he wanted to be the one to kill Itachi, and stabs a picture of him with his kunai. A look of pure hatred comes across Sasuke’s face as he listens a bit more to the group, with one of them saying that the village and the country will probably want to give Sasuke a medal and a good wage for killing an S-Rank criminal like that.

Then, a Kunai quickly appears from under Sasuke’s robe and in to his hand. Just as he is about to turn and confront the men, a hand is placed on his shoulder, and it’s revealed to be Tobi. Tobi tells Sasuke That the people he is angry with don’t know the truth, and that the place was too crowded anyway. Sasuke tells Tobi that he will tell them the truth, but Tobi just tells Sasuke to stop it, saying that they would never believe him anyway, and that even if these villagers asked the higher-ups then they would deny everything. Tobi then tells Sasuke that this is what Itachi wanted, he wanted to be labelled a traitor to the village for the sake of everyone in it.

Back in the present, Sasuke tells Kabuto that he is not like him, and that his reasons for wanting to crush the Leaf Village are his own. Kabuto then goes on to say that he knows why Itachi did what he did, saying he is the same, and explains about his childhood and how ever since he was first adopted by a Konoha ninja, he has been working hard for the village and making sacrifices. But despite doing so, all that ended up happening was he became distrusted just because he wasn’t originally from Konoha, and that both he and Itachi ended up getting nothing but shame and dishonour brought upon them in exchange for all they did for the village. Kabuto asks what has the village ever done for either of them, and tells Sasuke about how he too was molded in to a different person because of the way he was treated, and says that since he can understand Sasuke better than anyone else can, he will become his new older brother and stay at his side if Sasuke will come with him.

Itachi responds by telling Sasuke not to listen to Kabuto, saying that all this means is that Kabuto is a better liar than he is. Itachi then admits that Konoha is flawed and does have a darker side to it, but says that ultimately he is still Itachi Uchiha of the Leaf Village. Itachi goes on to say that he can’t criticise Sasuke for what he has done or how he has turned out, but that there is still one thing he has to say to him, though it will have to wait until after they stop Kabuto.

Kabuto begins boasting about how they can’t win and how his Edo Tensei is invincible. Itachi says to Sasuke that while Kabuto is annoying, he does have a point with what he is saying. Itachi then says Kabuto doesn’t know the true strength of the Uchiha, and says that the Uchiha’s eye power can affect a person regardless of their 5 senses, but that in exchange they lose the light from their eyes. Sasuke asks if he means Izanagi which takes Itachi by surprise. Itachi asks Sasuke how he knows about it, and when Sasuke tells him he encountered it during his fight with Danzo, Itachi tells Sasuke that it was impressive that he could survive against it.

Sasuke kind of shrugs off the comment and just asks how to use Izanagi, but Itachi tells him it’s not Izanagi he had in mind, instead it was something else, something that forms a pair with Izanagi. Sasuke replies by saying “Another one?” obviously wondering what it could be, while Itachi explains it’s already been prepared and calls it the ultimate jutsu that shall hold his destiny, with Kabuto now charging straight for them. Itachi blocks Kabuto’s attack with his sword, and reveals the technique is named Izanami. Itachi tells Sasuke that if Izanagi is a jutsu that can change destiny, then Izanami is a technique that can decide it, with the chapter ending as Itachi tells Sasuke to just stay close behind him.

Overall this was a decent enough chapter, though I admit myself I would like to see some more actual fighting in the next chapter. The flashback with Sasuke was awesome and was my favourite part of the chapter as I said earlier, and it was good hearing a bit more about Kabuto as well. The main talking point however is inevitably going to be about the new technique Itachi spoke of, Izanami.

It’s going to be pretty controversial in any case, as the Sharingan and its’ powers get a lot of grief from some fans as it is for the stupid amount of powerups and hax it has, so with yet another new technique I am sure it will make a lot of people unhappy. While I for one am excited and looking forward to seeing just what this technique is and what it does, I will admit that the Sharingan gaining new powers seemingly every time an Uchiha is in trouble is over the top.

Moving away from that briefly, I think this chapter also showed that maybe Sasuke really hasn’t moved on in any way since he first became “crazy”.  The past few weeks it appeared as if there had been a change in him since meeting with Itachi, but it felt like Kabuto did a good job of peeling back this veil and underneath revealing that maybe, just maybe, Sasuke doesn’t trust Itachi that much afterall, and that there is a decent chance that once Itachi is out of the picture once more, Sasuke will go back to his goal of crushing Konoha.

So as I said, I am pretty curious about Izanami, especially after Itachi’s words. If whatever it is takes away a user’s light, it must be something pretty amazing like Izanagi. With Itachi saying that Izanami is a technique that can decide someone’s fate it is of course intentionally vague, but I would like to hear what your thoughts on it are and what it may be, so any ideas or theories just leave in the comments box below!

So overall a pretty good chapter in any case, but yet again one that has left me more anxious to see the follow up rather than loving what is already released.

Naruto Chapter 580 – Brotherly Time Review / Thoughts

I am going to be honest, the only way to describe Naruto chapter 580 is sweet. Sweet is exactly what it is as we get to see not only Sasuke and Itachi working together, but also glimpses of them doing so in their younger days too.

This was yet another awesome chapter, and I think it would be impossible not to love it for anyone who likes the Uchiha bros. I have always liked the relationship between the two of them, and it’s really nice seeing how after all these years and all the crap that’s happened to them, they are still in sync with each other when it comes to thoughts and working together.

We obviously saw them taking on Kabuto last week, and the fight continues in this chapter. Two whole chapters in a row dedicated to the Uchiha vs Kabuto fight pleases me personally, though I am sure there will be some who are annoyed at this. Kabuto continues to impress, he performed one amazing technique which left both Itachi and Sasuke unable to move or see, and even made Sasuke start losing the ability to keep his Susanoo going. It was a blinding flash of light and hypersonic sound that practically rendered everyone but Kabuto blind and paralysed, with Kabuto himself admitting it’s only because of his Sage Mode,  his Snake abilities and the power to liquify his body that he can still do so.

Kabuto initially thinks about taking Itachi first, as then he could rewrite the tag placed inside of him and regain full control, but then decides to go after Sasuke instead. Itachi however blocks Kabuto’s effort to get Sasuke, with him then remembering about how Itachi can probably sense his Chakra. This part was a bit confusing due to translations, where the person doing so bemoaned the difficulty of accurate Japanese translations. So I will leave you to read that yourself, though the part where Kabuto referred to Itachi as a “Liar Ninja” was pretty awesome, with him saying about how he lied his entire life, even dying while still lying to Sasuke, and that he was excellent at doing so.

Since the whole chapter was fighting, I will just leave it at saying that the fight was awesome and that you should read it yourself to find out the rest. Nothing major happened yet, as by the end of the chapter things were back to stage 1 in terms of a winner / outcome.

I loved this chapter though, all the flashback parallels were amazing and showed why I like the relationship between Itachi and Sasuke so much. We got to see them in the past hunting a wild boar, with Itachi and Sasuke working together back then. After everything was done, Sasuke apologised to Itachi for not being much use, while Itachi said he still had a lot to learn. Then it moved back to the present, with Itachi smirking and commenting on how these days Sasuke would have no problem doing it.

It was a really nice and touching moment to be honest, after all this time it appears Itachi and Sasuke are somewhat reconciling and Itachi is being quick to praise Sasuke. I also like it because it has changed Sasuke back to the way he was in his younger days before he went crazy, this Sasuke is the best Sasuke, and it’s all down to Itachi that we are getting to see him again after so long. It’s clear that the bond between Itachi and Sasuke is extremely strong and will never be broken, and in the recent chapters it has me convinced at long last that Sasuke can still change his ways and gain what some people would call “redemption”.  Obviously there could be some twists and turns yet to come, but for now that appears to be the way things are headed.

In any case, this was another fantastic chapter with Kishimoto doing himself proud. If you’re an Uchiha fan then this is unmissable, but even if you’re not, the battle between them and Kabuto by itself is definitely good enough to warrant your time and attention anyway.

Naruto Chapter 579 – Brothers, Fight as One! Review / Thoughts

I honestly don’t even know how I am going to be able to review Naruto chapter 579, I was in such shock and awe the entire time I had a hard job of taking everything in. I wasn’t sure whether to call Kishimoto a troll or a genius, either way, this was one hell of an interesting and exciting chapter.

Kabuto impressed the hell out of me in this chapter, I admit that I thought he would get his ass kicked by Itachi and Sasuke, but he has done a good job of proving me wrong. His techniques were amazing, and showing off his knowledge of Sasuke’s former Taka teammates was incredible. I was pretty disappointed when Kabuto confirmed what some fans have been speculating for ages, that being Karin is an Uzumaki. It feels so unnecessary and tacked on, we already had the big reveal ages ago that Nagato was an Uzumaki which I didn’t have a problem with, but as I said, Karin being one serves no real purpose.

Anyway, back to the positives. Both Sasuke and Itachi used their Susanoo against Kabuto and his Snakes, and seeing the two Susanoo together was admittedly one of the things I was most looking forward to in regards to an Uchiha bros teamup. It goes to show the skill and talent Kabuto possesses since he has so far been able to dodge and keep up with two Uchiha clan members in Susanoo mode.

But that said, I want to quickly move on to the main thing here, that being Kabuto’s reveal at the end of the chapter. Kabuto gaining Sage Mode is something nobody probably ever expected, I know I certainly didn’t! Going back to my earlier point, his knowledge of the inner workings of Sasuke’s ex Taka comrades has served him brilliantly. By studying Suigetsu and his clan, Kabuto has been able to liquify his own body to move between places. He also revealed of course that Karin is an Uzumaki, and most importantly, he revealed the nature (pardon the phrase) of Jugo’s ability. I can’t remember exactly how that went because I was so excited throughout I was rushing through the pages, but it was through that Kabuto was able to aquire his Sage Mode.

Kabuto’s Sage Mode was incredibly unexpected, and the way he told Sasuke that he wasn’t a Snake anymore, but instead is a Dragon was such an epic moment. Seriously, Kabuto being a Dragon is a weird but incredible twist, and I honestly can’t wait to see the kind of amazing powers he is sure to have. What I will say is that Sasuke repeatedly being referred to as Dr Snakes was as hilarious as it was bad. I am glad his knowledge of snakes and what they can do was acknowledged, but that name was beyond ridiculous, I am almost hoping it was the translators trolling haha.

But yes, as you may well have gathered, I thought this was an absolutely incredible chapter and one you can’t afford to miss. The Uchiha bros vs Kabuto has taken a very interesting turn to say the least, and I can see myself reading this chapter more than a few times before the next one comes out next week and settles my desire for more Naruto!

Naruto Chapter 578 – A Weakness of Despair!!!! Review / Thoughts

I am incredibly pleased with the new chapter, the panel above made my day as an Uchiha bros fan. But yes, chapter 578 was pretty awesome yet again as Naruto is going through one of it’s best patches of form in Shippuden.

Last week set up brilliantly with Sasuke appearing behind Itachi right when he came across Kabuto, and this week we get to see what happens because of that. I was surprised Kabuto was so forthcoming with revealing to Sasuke about the bargain he had made with Tobi, even going as far as to comment on his delight that his prize would present itself to him of it’s own accord. Kabuto actually goes in to some detail apparently to explain things to Sasuke, but this is done off panel so that we get to see more of Madara vs the 5 Kage’s battle.

Speaking of which, last week we saw Madara being badass and him impaling Tsunade through the chest, and with the new chapter we find out she is still alive and has even been able to heal herself. I think it was pretty obvious this would be the case, it never really looked likely that Tsunade was going to go out like that, but it did at least get to show us her healing powers. Yet again I couldn’t help but like the way Madara was acting towards the Kage, at one point Onoki tries his jutsu again on Madara and says that one of his attacks was able to graze him once before, but Madara calls him senile and says that he let himself be hit on purpose just so that everyone could see Hashirama’s face embedded in him.

Basically long story short, the Kage so far still haven’t been able to do anything of real note to Madara, and Madara himself is still quick to mock them and is full of arrogance. Before I move on from that fight however, I do want to give a special mention to the scenes with the Kage telling Madara that the very fact they have to go 5 on 1 against him shows how much they respect his power, and that he shouldn’t think of them as cowards because of it. Then Madara pulls off the badass move of saying he doesn’t consider them cowards, while then performing a multiple Mokuton clone jutsu and telling the Kage basically what they had just said to him eg; it’s only because he respects their power so much that he is going 5 on 1  (having now made loads of clones to outnumber the Kage and fighting them individually with each set of clones). This I feel was typical Madara and was such a slap in the face to the Kage who were actually being sincere when they said it to him, I just can’t help but love the sheer cockiness and arrogance Madara displays.

We then get to move back on to Sasuke, Itachi and Kabuto. Kabuto has finished explaining things to Sasuke, and even tries to encourage Sasuke to work with him instead so that together they can both defeat Itachi. Kabuto says that they both had the same master and mentions how Itachi massacred the Uchiha clan, and basically just trying to convince Sasuke that working with him was the right way to go. Sasuke answers the question of who’s side he is on though when he throws some shuriken at Kabuto, although they are blocked. Sasuke asks Itachi why he stopped them, and Itachi tells him that they can’t kill Kabuto or else the Edo Tensei will never come to an end. Itachi reveals his plan to stop Edo Tensei, that being he would place Kabuto under Tsukuyomi and while he was under his control, he would force him to reveal the secrets of Edo Tensei and then stop the Jutsu.

Kabuto pretty much laughs it off and says about how it won’t necessarily be as easy for the plan to work as Itachi thinks, and claims that there is no kind of weakness or flaw to the jutsu. Itachi though says that there is a flaw to every jutsu, and then delivers a badass line by saying that the flaw to Kabuto’s Edo Tensei is Itachi himself. The expression on Itachi’s face in that panel was brilliant and the line was delivered perfectly, it stood out as one of the chapter’s highlights because of the sheer badass and awesomeness it projected. In the end, Itachi asks Sasuke to work together with him to defeat Kabuto without killing him, and promises him that if he will do that then he will talk to Sasuke about whatever he wants afterwards. Then came my favourite part of the chapter, with Sasuke agreeing to help but saying to Itachi that for all these years Itachi would never keep his promises, and said that for once please just keep your promise this time. Well the answer was good from Itachi too, but you can see his response in the panel at the top of this review.

That pretty much sums up the chapter, and I have to say I loved reading it. We will finally get to see Sasuke and Itachi work together as a team, something fans of the Uchiha bros have pretty much always wanted. I can’t even imagine how great it’s going to be seeing the two of them working together at last, and I honestly don’t have a clue how Kabuto is going to have any hopes of stopping them. My only guess is that maybe now the Kage are going to be busy dealing with the Mokuton Madara clones, Kabuto might summon the real Madara to his location so that he can help against Itachi and Sasuke. If Itachi and Sasuke do end up taking on Madara, it has the potential to be the most amazing fight ever seen in Naruto, so I am almost hoping that is what will happen. Even if it doesn’t though, the sheer fact Itachi and Sasuke are going to be teaming up means that the fight is going to be amazing and something special.

I also want to give a quick mention to the fact at first Sasuke was unsure if Kabuto was Orochimaru, as from a distance they obviously look rather similar. I thought that was a pretty nice touch and it goes to show just how far Kabuto has come and what lengths he has gone to so that he can achieve his goals. I was also surprised because it seemed to me like Sasuke was also genuinely a bit worried when he first thought it was Orochimaru, I know it was mostly shock, but I could definitely sense some worry too which was surprising considering how much stronger Sasuke himself has grown since the days he knew and worked with Orochimaru.

But overall this was yet another excellent chapter of Naruto, and once more I am left desperately wanting to read the next chapter to find out what happens next.

Naruto Chapter 577 – Sword of Hatred Review / Thoughts

Yet again with Naruto chapter 577 we mainly see it focused on Madara’s battle with the 5 Kage, and yet again we get a fantastic chapter.

In all honesty, I think Madara’s battle with the 5 Kage is one of the best fights in Naruto. Each and every time I see it I believe it more and more, I can’t remember a chapter that wasn’t awesome when that battle had a decent amount of panel time, and this week was no different.

Last week we saw Tsunade make a little speech about the Will of Fire she inherited from Hashirama, and so it was always likely she was going to land a few hits on Madara and do some damage. What Madara did though was excellent. Just when Tsunade lands a big blow on him and Gaara seals him, Madara suddenly appears from underground and impales Tsunade. Madara of course had used Hashirama’s Mokuton clone technique, and then commented on the fact that nobody had ever been able to see through the technique except for himself back when Hashirama used to use it, and that was because of his eye powers.

Aside from Madara’s typical badassery, we also get to see Tsunade’s former boyfriend Dan talking with Choji’s father, and he is unsurprisingly shocked when he is told Tsunade managed to become Hokage. When he learns about Madara and the Kage’s battle though, he flat out tells Choji’s dad that the only person who could possibly stop Madara is Hashirama himself, and says that the only way anyone can stop Madara now is if they get the person using Edo Tensei to release the jutsu.

This actually leads to the end of the chapter, where Itachi tries to distract Sasuke with his crows, while Itachi himself then finally meets up with Kabuto. Kabuto laughs though and says luck is finally on his side since if anyone kills him then the Edo Tensei would never end, as the only way to stop the jutsu is if he cancels it himself. Then right in the last panel, we see the outline of Sasuke standing behind Itachi, with Itachi basically thinking  “damn, shit’s about to get serious” thanks to the arrival of his brother.

 

The chapter was brilliant, there is no other word for it. Madara vs the 5 Kage was excellent as always, and I loved the Mokuton clone part. Madara got hyped even more in this chapter thanks to Dan, and Kabuto is basically having a laugh because he knows his life is safe. I am really looking forward now though to the triangle of Itachi, Sasuke and Kabuto. Sasuke is going to go batshit insane, I honestly can’t see anything else happening right now. Itachi’s reaction to Sasuke’s arrival alone is enough to convince me he believes that Sasuke is going to rage first and ask questions later, and so has made his job more difficult.

Truth be told I think Kabuto is a fool if he thinks he is safe now, whether he believes his life or his jutsu will be ok then he is sadly mistaken. If Sasuke doesn’t go batshit insane and fight like hell against him, then I see no reason why Itachi wouldn’t be able to place Kabuto under some sort of strong Genjutsu that forced him to cancel Edo Tensei. I can’t wait to find out what happens next, as Kishimoto has done a fantastic job with Naruto these past few weeks. Just when you think Naruto is getting boring, Kishimoto springs out a month’s worth of brilliant chapters to get you hooked again. Just a brilliant, brilliant chapter, and I find myself wanting to read it more and more with every passing week.

Naruto Chapter 576 – The Guide of The Reunion Review / Thoughts

As followers of my Naruto Manga reviews will know, as an Uchiha fan I have been extremely hyped and looking forward to seeing the reunion between Itachi and Sasuke. I predicted brilliant things from this chapter, and while this was indeed brilliant, surprisingly my favourite part turned out to be something different altogether.

As you probably guessed from the picture, my favourite part of chapter 576 was in fact Madara Uchiha. Now ever since Tobi first proclaimed himself to be Madara, Madara Uchiha has never left my top 5 favourite characters, and with Edo Madara my stance hasn’t changed in the slightest.

The best way to describe Madara is badass, just no other word could fit him as well. Who else would be taking on the 5 Kage, kicking their asses without breaking a sweat, and then telling them that all 5 of them together are not even in the same league as the first Hokage Hashirama Senju? Of course some would consider this arrogance on Madara’s part, but in fairness to him he has so far backed up all his claims about his own strength, so it wouldn’t be too much of a stretch to assume his tales of Hashirama are true, especially as Tsunade pretty much acknowledges the same thing.

I fear going off in to a huge essay about why I think Madara is amazing and why what he is doing right now is badass. So instead, I will try and keep the Madara part as brief as I can.

It’s awesome how despite the countless years that have passed since Madara and Hashirama’s time, Madara’s grudge against the Senju hasn’t changed a bit. During the battle he asks Tsunade if she is a descendant of Hashirama, and so she asks what would happen if she was, for Madara to reply that if she confirmed it to be true then she would be the first one he struck down. Mei then speaks up saying that taking out the medical ninja in the team is rule one of any strategy for a ninja, but Madara says that he doesn’t care about that, the reason he will kill Tsunade first is because she is a Senju member, and stating that her being a medical ninja makes no difference as she could do no more than buy the Kage a couple of seconds longer to live anyway.

Basically Madara is not only disgusted by Tsunade but is also very mocking of her, going out of his way to tell her how inferior she is to Hashirama. Then came my favourite line in the chapter – “Weak people are ugly, and weak Senju are even more ugly”.  It just sums up Madara and his feelings so well, in fact, it sums up the Uchiha clan as a whole since they base everything on power and who is the strongest.

I could go on and on like I said, but now I will instead move on to Sasuke and Itachi.  I was actually a little disappointed with this, Sasuke has to check to confirm that the person he sees in front of him is indeed his brother Itachi, but when he calls out to him he is simply ignored. As Itachi silently continues on, Sasuke gives chase and again asks him who he is and tells him to wait. With Itachi not listening, Sasuke uses one of his Susanoo’s arms to try and grab him, but it is knocked back by the arm of Itachi’s Susanoo.

I expect most people thought that was going to start a fight between them, but it didn’t. But that wasn’t the disappointing thing, it’s just that despite Sasuke’s repeated questions to Itachi about pretty much everything that has happened between them, Itachi doesn’t give a true or proper answer to a single one of them, instead he just repeats the same phrases he has used on Sasuke in the past such as being able to see through illusion and staying true to your own path. I know really this is typical Itachi, he has always been quiet and secretive, and of course has always placed his mission above almost everything else, so of course he still refused to stop and answer any questions and instead just told Sasuke he didn’t have time to wait and that he had to stop Kabuto’s Edo Tensei.

Perhaps the most interesting thing was that Itachi mentioning the fact he was revived in such a manner by Kabuto didn’t even seem to faze Sasuke, who instead just continued asking questions. Knowing the sort of character and person Itachi is I can’t see this changing in the future chapters either, but I do feel that now this is going to go down one of two routes.

1. Sasuke gets angry with Itachi for not answering, and eventually lets it overcome him and thus begins to have a real battle with him.

2. Itachi continues to refuse to answer Sasuke’s questions, but in the end by Sasuke following him they both end up coming across Kabuto, and thus either Sasuke or Itachi (perhaps even both) end up fighting him.

I can actually see it being number 2, probably along the lines of Sasuke telling Itachi that if he kills Kabuto and stops Edo Tensei then he will have no reason not to be able to answer his questions anymore, and so then Sasuke and Kabuto will face off one-on-one in what would be an interesting and awesome fight.

But back to this chapter, as a whole I really enjoyed it, though that was surprisingly not because of Sasuke and Itachi’s reunion, but instead because of Madara vs the Kage. I can see the next chapter having massive implications for a few characters, and it wouldn’t surprise me if we ended up seeing Tsunade giving her life to face down Madara either, though I have the feeling Madara won’t find the battle as easy as he may think.

Naruto Chapter 575 – Stone Will Review / Thoughts

Wow, I commented in my previous review about the potential for Naruto chapter 575, but I never expected things to be this good, particularly with the welcome return of the battle between the 5 Kage vs Madara.

 

I often go over what actually happens in the chapter, but I am not going to. I am so genuinely hyped over the content in this I am instead going to just talk about why it’s so great.

Firstly, after last week I was expecting the chapter to remain focused on Sasuke and Itachi for the most part, but that wasn’t the case. It was a pleasant surprise as instead we were treated to the 5 Kage’s battle with Madara being resumed. Madara rightfully came across as a total badass as we find out that he was mixed with the first Hokage Hashirama, and then Madara starts pulling out the amazing Mokuton techniques he gained from it, causing massive panic amongst the Kage.  The chapter definitely did a lot to hype Hashirama as Kabuto claimed there is nobody else like him anymore, and even spoke about how he was so strong a lot of people considered him to be no more than a myth just like Rikudo Sennin.

It actually says a lot because as feared as Madara is / was, I got the impression Kabuto was basically sure that Hashirama was in a league of his own to the extent he could be the most powerful character aside from Rikudo. But anyway, with them both combined the power Edo Madara has is immeasurable and as far as I can tell should be invincible. Madara basically smashed through the Kage with no problem, with them only really being saved by the Tsuchikage’s effort (who we got a little bit of backstory for). Considering all of this was referred to as Orochimaru’s experiments (and being more complete than Danzo’s was) it speaks volumes of just how much planning and influence Orochimaru is having even to this day. If we end up seeing him again in some form before the series ends I won’t be surprised, and to be honest if he did return somehow he would be an excellent final villain.

 

But then, right at the end we get to see Sasuke again……AND HE COMES ACROSS ITACHI!!

Sorry about that, but it is genuinely one of the most epic things I have seen in the Manga. Everything about it was done perfectly, and considering it is only from a few panels, that’s amazing. I honestly had chills just reading it / seeing it, never before have I felt that way when reading Naruto. The way it was done was just great, Sasuke was just heading towards the battlefield, but as he started running through some woods something caught his attention. This was the panel that made it for me, because there was such a look of shock and disbelief on his face as if he couldn’t believe what he was seeing. He looks up to see Itachi in the tree above him and just really can’t believe his eyes, but then unfortunately the chapter ends.

This is what I have been hoping for for as long as I can remember, it’s what pretty much every fan of Sasuke has wanted ever since hearing the truth of the Uchiha. The fact Kishimoto is giving the fans this meeting makes me incredibly happy and excited, I get the feeling that Sasuke may not act as expected judging from his reaction. Itachi himself doesn’t seem to notice Sasuke underneath him, but with Sasuke seeing him you know something big is going to happen. A lot of people predict a big fight between the two, but I don’t think that will happen now, but there will be a lot of talking and discussion between the two of them.

The potential for what can happen is unbelievable and should be pretty much impossible to mess up, whatever Kishi has planned should be amazing. The last few chapters have been brilliant and the ones to come should be even better. I can’t stress enough that as of now Naruto is truly essential reading, whether you like(d) Naruto for the Uchiha story or for just badass fights, there is definitely plenty for fans of either to enjoy now and is more than worth reading.

 

Naruto Chapter 574 – The Eyes That Look in to Darkness Review / Thoughts

Today is good for two reasons – firstly, chapter 574 is out nice and early again. Secondly, it has finally introduced Sasuke in to the war properly. As you can probably tell, the return of Sasuke is very welcome in the eyes of this reviewer!

So yes, although we get to see plenty of Sasuke, the chapter in fact starts off with Karin. She is in her cell back in Konoha staring at a portrait of Sasuke she made, and is unsure whether to hate him or love him, still torn between feelings after Sasuke’s attempt at killing her previously. Elsewhere we also get to see Jugo and Suigetsu, so it’s been a good chapter in terms of fans of Hebi / Taka.  After Suigetsu goes on an amusing little speech about why he stays with the team, Jugo enters curse mark mode and blows a hole in a nearby wall. In doing so, it is revealed that Orochimaru had a secret room built there, so Suigetsu goes in to investigate. When he enters, interestingly he finds something he claims could be the decisive factor in deciding the outcome of the war, and thinks to himself about how it would make a great present for Sasuke.

Then we move on to the rest of the chapter which consists entirely of Sasuke, who continues to be one of the main reasons I stick with the Manga. Sasuke was heading towards the battlefield last week, and this week he comes across some of the Zetsu army who ask him what he is doing so far out. Sasuke just tells them there is no particular reason, and tells them about how he travelled through two cities that were empty, and then asks what is going on. The main Zetsu clone tells Sasuke that they are the ones asking the questions around here, and again asks why Sasuke has come so far out. An arrogant smile spreads across Sasuke’s face as he taunts the Zetsu by saying that if they don’t like him being there, then they can try and capture him to take him back, as they have the numbers on their side this time.  The Zetsu then realise what Sasuke means, and angry about him having killed the original Zetsu, the clones all charge to attack Sasuke, who merely looks on and says it’s a good chance to obtain some feedback as the group will be more of a challenge.

As the Zetsu charge, Sasuke activates his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan and Susanoo, and immediately blitzes through them all using the black flames attack from his Susanoo. With the Zetsu all on fire and defeated, Sasuke grabs the only one not on fire and uses his Sharingan to force the Zetsu to give him information. Sasuke discovers that Tobi has started a war, Zetsu mentions that the goal is to capture Killer Bee and Naruto, before warning about Naruto’s comrades coming to help. A smile spreads across Sasuke’s face as he remembers his previous encounters with Naruto,  and says to himself has Naruto forgotten what strength is? Before then slicing the Zetsu in half, and proclaiming that he is going to head to the battlefield in order to kill him. Out of the corner of his eye, Sasuke notices one remaining Zetsu trying to escape, so then he uses the black flames to burn him too, while a sinister smile spreads across his face as he says what great eyes he has and how he has grown accustomed to them…..nii-san.  Sasuke then thinks to himself about how all the things he has seen, all the brutal, sad and grave things are now burned in to his brother’s eyes, and tells his brother to look at him, unaware that the Edo Itachi may very well be heading his direction.

So that was what happened in the chapter, and wow…..just WOW. Now as you have no doubt realised I am a very big Sasuke fan, and over these past few weeks I have been hoping for more from him as he enters the battlefield, and this week delivered big time. Although he was only fighting a bunch of Zetsu clones, to see him use his EMS and Susanoo to wipe them out so quickly was brilliant, and I love the way Sasuke truly does come across now as being pretty much insane. With the EMS he has gained massive power, and with his arrogance thrown in with it then it makes him a very interesting and badass character to watch. While Sasuke could end up just going to the battlefield to face Naruto, the fact that he could instead end up coming face to face with Edo Itachi is the far more appealing prospect. Truth be told they need to meet again so they can have a talk about the clan and everything that has happened since Tobi first revealed the truth of the Uchiha to him, and I also get the feeling that the meeting could be what finally pushes Sasuke completely over the edge to the point he becomes a psychopathic killer with no remorse or morals.

Aside from the Sasuke panels anyway, the opening panel with Karin was pretty funny which is nice considering the seriousness of the rest of the chapter, and Suigetsu was rather amusing too. Very interesting is what on earth it is Suigetsu found in Orochimaru’s secret hideout that could change the outcome of the war, I don’t have a clue what it could be, but the fact Orochimaru surprised even Suigetsu with whatever it was he was meddling with is very intriguing to say the least. If you have any ideas / theories on what it could be then please leave a comment in the box below, as I am very interested in getting other people’s view on what it might be.

But overall this was a fantastic chapter, from start to finish I loved every second of it. Not just because I am a Sasuke fan, but because of all the implications and possibilities that have arisen solely from this one chapter alone. If you haven’t read it yet, get on to it asap and prepare to be amazed. If you have read it, then you will already be aware of how brilliant this chapter is and may very well wish to read it again. All I can say is next week could be the best yet in terms of what could happen in Naruto, as Kishimoto has done an excellent job of recapturing interest with this week’s chapter.