You evidently don't have eyes on the front of your heads, either, as I see things happen here all the time that you constantly accuse me of, and they go completely ignored. I came here because I was invited here, and because I assumed that I would be among like-minded individuals. Instead, what I find are self-deluding fanatics who run and cry for the mods every time anyone says anything that does not fit into the "NS FTW, NH SMH" cookie cutter. I do not disturb these boards. As I said before, I simply articulate my thoughts clearly without passive-aggressive emoticons. Rest assured, I've pretty much seen the uselessness in "debating" with the vast majority of you. I don't intend to "disturb" your fan discussions any further.

Do not threaten me with being banned. Throwing your weight around toward me like that just proves my point, as does you looming here to try and lecture me. This place has the potential to be nice, but so far, it's proving to be nothing more than recycled mantras and circle jerks. And you can trust me when I say this: I am not the only member here who thinks so.

EDIT: And as a side note, I find it truly hilarious that this iblog is getting a lot more views now that I have the mods buckling down on me. lol

Your offense at the picture is ridiculous and seriously lacks a sense of humor. It is not racist, it is minimally offensive short of the swearing. Don't like the swearing? I suggest you comb through your members list and take a look at some of the signatures and pictures, because I've seen plenty that seem to pass under your radar. Yes, I do believe you have a personal vendetta against me, and rightfully so. It is currently impossible for me to post anything at all that is not either ignored outright or taken as combative simply because it does not fall in line with the same, tired NS arguments fit for bobble headed sheep, and is not laced with passive-aggressive emoticons.

Your "debate" threads are a joke, as are your cowardly "agree to disagree or we will close the thread" policies. Do you enjoy being the moderator to overly sensitive, single-minded children?

I can't believe how many people here have actually convinced themselves that Kishimoto gives a crap one way or the other about the pairing wars. Isn't this supposed to be the debate thread? Where is the irrefutable proof for this? Because so far, all I see are countless instances of begging the question, over thinking and wild speculation. This is the equivalent of a man running a puppet theater for his bread and butter, hearing a fanatical audience obsessing over certain puppets, and then thinking he is doing things behind the veil just to antagonize the fans. Do you really think he intends to risk upsetting the fans, effectively trumping his own sales? It's ridiculous. He says that he has changes planned, but that most likely simply means changes that are to be expected in the story, not changes he decided to make to his plans at the last minute on the suggestion of the shippers.

I know what it's like to create a character in both personality/history profile and visual design. And there is no way he's spent all of that time perfecting his characters just to aggravate NS or NH. The flaws you find in Hinata? The things that annoy you? Those flaws are planned and intentional.

Of course it's just awful, it's Michael Bay. The guy has movie explosion tourret's syndrome. Just once, I'd like to see him take on a romantic comedy, or something. See how long he can go without a car/plane/bomb/small animal blowing up.



I wouldn't call that movie an old classic. Not by a long shot. But it's Scorsese's finest, and I've yet to see anything by that man that hasn't been fantastic. Have you see The Color of Money? The man can even make Tom Cruise look good.

Correct. Two other characters about whom I'm sure he "gives a hoot."

Wow. So there's actually someone out there that thinks Kishimoto "doesn't give a hoot" about Hinata? You know, the character he so carefully wrote, designed, and repeatedly draws over and over? Have to say, I've never heard of an author or artist who "doesn't give a hoot" about one of his own characters.

Assuming my opinion is welcome on what is supposed to be my blog section, I'd say this sums up my reaction to the previous censorship quite nicely. And by nicely, I mean well. Not nicely as in nice. At least, not by the standards of niceness apparently upheld on this website.

Warning to all of the 0 people here who read my iblog or care: This video contains coarse language and some adult situations. So, for those of you whose ears burn at the sound of the A word, the B word, the C word, the D word, the E word, or the F word, you may just want to move on. Yes, there is an E word. No, I won't tell you what it is. Because you'll cry. Viewer discretion is advised.

Planning changes is one thing. Planning changes specifically to vex the fans is another. That is the behavior of a troll. A troll with a lot of time on his hands, I might add. And if that's actually the case, then frankly, I will have lost all respect for him.

I'm sorry, but until I hear, verbatim, "I added this character/planned this event specifically to appeal to/vex a certain part of my fanbase," I believe those claims are ridiculous.



Yes. Both sides do this. Both inflate and exaggerate the good points of their favored character, and both sides trash and exaggerate the negative points of their opposing character.

Why do you people always insist that Kishimoto is doing things to antagonize certain factions of their fanbase? Do you think he didn't already have this planned out long before he knew the reaction?

Trust me, it really isn't worth trying to debate. I've learned that.

If you intend to include NS at all (which I presume you do to some extent, given your audience here), then you are correct; subtlety is key. This is something most fanfics grossly lack. If you are going to introduce any points of romance, make sure to use a human sense of doubt and inhibition, especially given their as-of-yet unconfirmed feelings (especially Sakura). Refrain from outright flirting and make out sessions, because it's just not believable. And for all that is holy, please, PLEASE do not inject the common arguments of the shippers into the context. Do not refer to any compliments of Sakura's forehead, do not refer to the importance of hugs, do not refer to the removal or use of honorifics or supposed terms of affection, do not refer to parallels between other pairings (especially in the case of Kushina's suggestion to marry a girl like his mother), and do not insist on any speculation concerning the meaning of "warm smiles." I've seen way too many stories do this, and they read like circle-jerk propaganda. Stay away from that at all costs.



Best way to approximate that is to go from references of known age. Kakashi and the other Jounin at the time of the Konoha 11's upbringing were in their late 20s to early 30s. Around the time Naruto was born, Kakashi and his team were about the same age as team 7, as to be expected from new graduates/genin. So, the same could likely be said for Minato and Kushina. Late 20s-early 30s. 28 is a safe number.



Well, that depends on your intentions. What is the conflict of the story? What is the goal? Is there a lesson to be learned? You'd need to know all of that before you start planning a setting. It's never really a good idea to write straight ahead without a plan. It can cause inconsistences and rambling.



Once again, that all depends on what your intentions are. Is this more for the growth of Naruto, or for Sakura? Given that you are using both couples, I assume you are going to do something concerning parallels (remember what I said earlier, be careful). So, who has what to learn, and from whom?



Personal preference, honestly. I mainly like Japanese, but it's because I'm familiar enough with the series to understand the jist of it. If you plan on showing this to those who only follow the dubbed anime, then it's best that you at least parenthetically give the translation.



Choose your audience beforehand, then use that as a means for planning for what will best appeal to them.



Well, if you dont have much experience, you are doing the right thing by asking advice. I'm always happy to give feedback if you're willing to share what you have. And as for what to avoid, once again, I refer you to my first answer.

Pairing wars are much the same as political campaigns. Give no credit to your opponent's shining points, and be absolutely certain to embellish and exaggerate their every flaw. It's all about gaining supporters while infuriating the other camp.

Yeah, I'd say that about sums up my presence here.

Oh dear. Looks like I've been caught eating crackers again.

I sacrifice a virgin lamb on an altar to Eruzlie, Haitian goddess of love, every full moon to earn her favor for their union. I think she has been appeased. We've seen lots of NS moments lately, after all. Join me in my prayer to Eruzlie for Kishimoto to see the light...

Fòtin être sou fleri penk pyebwa a. Fòtin être sou zannimo wouj la queue anpil. Fòtin être sou NaruSaku, se pou yo renmen, kenbe fèm.

Yes, they did. And that's where the politics of it come in. Do you think Sasuke was the only child of the Unchiha who was too young to know anything about this? How many children do you think died by Itachi's blade that night? Do you think the powers that be actually gave him expressed permission to spare his brother? Did the leaders of the Leaf bother to disclose the truth to Sasuke so that he wouldn't live his life based on a total lie? Do you think they did this because it would be better for him to hate Itachi than to hate the village responsible for his family's death and become a future threat?

This is the why the black and white concept of good and evil needs to be removed from situations like this. If your entire family was murdered in cold blood by your government on the grounds that they were terrorists, or potential terrorists, and you were too young to know anything about it, I seriously doubt that you would remain a loyal patriot. Especially not if that same government fed you the lie that it was done by one of your own family, and that it led to you killing the one you loved most.

He killed Samurai who attacked him, ninja who attacked him. He killed nobody who didn't already intend to kill him on sight. That is what war is about. That was the point of Pain's whole diatribe, remember?

No, I am not putting all of the blame on the Hokage. I am putting the primary share of the blame on the Hokage because, advised or not, it is his command that sets the troops in motion. I can promise you that if that action had been taken without the consent of the Hokage, much less if he forbade it, there would be outrage and the ones responsible would pay dearly for it. The government can reject the president by way of impeachment. This did not happen here. He was accepted as one of the greatest leaders they ever had, and is still mourned as such, even by those who know what happened with the Uchiha. This action had the approval of those who follow him. I repeat, that is the function of a true leader: not a tyrant or a ruler, but a person who shoulders the burden of the people's will and to act in their best interest. This was in the people's best interest. It was not in the Uchiha's best interest, nor was it int he best interest of Sasuke himself. The only reason he was spared was on whim from Itachi, and the Third had no problem in lying to him about the events of that night.

No, they don't appear to have more power than that. Not only have we never seen them direct anything that went under the Hokage's nose undetected, we saw Tsunade outright defy them, forcing them into a compromise. Danzo is not the advisor, he is the leader of the Anbu root. He, effectively, is one of the Hokage's lieutenants even if they don't agree on matters of policy. Danzo gave the order, but only at the consent of the Hokage. Without his consent, it does not happen. If it did, Danzo and Anbu root would not exist, I promise you that. You do not elect a leader and then go over his head. Like I sad: that is called treason, and it's usually punishable by death.

Yeah, I'm sure the ability to vote her out of her position is possible, likely at the discretion of the feudal lord, but not the elders themselves. They have never been shown to have any official authority that does not first have to pass the approval of the Hokage. And the only time I ever saw them attempt to replace her was when she was comatose after the fight with Pain. Or do you not remember that it was the feudal lord at the meeting who almost voted Kakashi into her position at the time, acting at the advisement of the elders? You never see them do anything the does not pass through an official authority above them.

How is it a contradiction to say that the Hokage has the final say? The political part in this is that they work as his advisors, and their merit of service to the village and the country is closely listened to by all powers involved, including those above the Hokage. The orders to all military assets in the village are at the discretion of the Hokage alone, but he does not close his ears totally to the elders. If he thought it was in the best interest of the village, he could have compeltely overruled their ideas. And yes, there might have been a price to pay, depending on how the Feudal Lord saw it. Yey, while he carries the position, it is within his power to do so. Just like all genin must obey the orders of their leading chuunin or jonin, the repercussions of those actions would fall on the shoulders of that chuunin. But at the moment, in the mission, his orders take priority. That's what rank is, the grant of certain power, but not unchecked.

If a person in command does not represent the will of the people, then there powers in play that will strip him of his command. Until that time, his power is to be respected. That is how a government works, and that is how a military heirarchy works. The Uchiha were eliminated at the official command of the Leaf. As a collective, the Leaf is responsible for the death of his clan, whether it was called for or not. And I know that if you were in his position, you would not be declaring that your family deserved to die.

Hard to betray someone who has already broken the bond of trust beforehand.

Yeah, but the village betrayed him first. Just saying.

The village elders are the advisors to the Hokage. Not only is the final word the Hokage's alone, he actually has the right to outright reject their advice altogether. While he does not take their suggestions lightly, and while doing so may invoke repercussions from the feudal lord of the Land of Fire, that action is within his power. Yet, it was political, and that is the point. And it is the political leaders who assume the burden of representing the will of the people. Those who fly the banner, especially after such a thing was done, are to be held accountable as parts of the institution that made it happen. It doesn't matter who did it directly. It was at the direction of the official authorities who represent the village as a military state, and Sasuke is well justified for hating them for it.

Further, given how the Uchiha clan was so cold-bloodedly annihilated on the grounds of their potential revolt, what is to stop the village from deciding to assassinate Sasuke for the same reason even if he does choose to return to the village? Sure, Naruto will take the seat of Hokage, and he holds the ideals of love and compassion and believes that vengeance is destructive, but the Third thought the same way. And when the village elders advice could influence even his actions, what is to stop Sasuke from being the next target when they, along with Danzo, were in agreement that Sasuke must die for the sake of political good will?

Not only dose he have no reason to return to the Leaf, not only is he well within his rights to hate them, but he would actually be a fool to return.

Refer to my previous post. Well, my post before my previous post, that is.

Also, you just said he would deserve it. Two addendums here. First, how many people has he actually killed at this point who did not directly contribute to wronging him and his clan? As far as I can see, the only ones we ever actually saw him kill were Orochimaru, Itachi, and Danzo. All of whom he believed had designs on his life. Second, was it not Naruto who said that vengeance is a vicious cycle?

I really don't see why people think he is evil. As though he has absolutely no reason to do what he is doing. Like he just started maniacally rubbing his hands together one day and decided it was time to murder everyone for teh lulz.

At this point, it's pretty much demonstrated that the Uchiha were ultimately enemies of the Leaf and its ideals, regardless of which side instigated it. That's how it was since the village was founded, since Madara lost the fight for control to the First. There has always been a grudge for that, and that's what it was all about in the first place. At the orders of the Third and his administration, the Uchiha were murdered en masse, and Itachi was made to be the instrument of their demise with the bogus excuse of "testing his power." That was a lie that Sasuke based his life around, a lie that darkened his heart, and when he acted on it, he was labeled as a rogue ninja. Because of what the Leaf did, his family and entire clan were murdered in a conflict he could not understand, he lived his life miserably based on a total lie, and wound up killing the person who loved him the most. They took everything from him, and to return to the Leaf now just because Naruto wants it would be totally absurd.

People here have told me that his hatred is petty, that he shouldn't hate the entirety of the Leaf just because of the actions of a few, but that's not how it works. That's never how it works, and the history of any war will tell you that. If you are a citizen under the rule of a certain dictator or council, you may disagree with their ideals. Depending on the laws, you may even be entitled to your own opinion. But the moment you fly the banner/wear the symbol/bear the coat of arms of the leader in charge, you are actively submitting that you are beneath that ruler's command, and that his decisions represent your will. And while flying that banner, if you act against the command of your leader, there is a word for that. It's called treason. The Hokage's decision represents the will of the Leaf, everyone who wears the symbol and fights for its ideals. And when the Hokage ordered the death of the Uchiha clan, when he ordered that a lie be perpetuated to tuck the dirty little secret under the rug, his actions represented the will of the entire village. Especially because its primary purpose is as a military presence. That is what a leader is; not a ruler, but an icon of ideals and a representative of the collective will.

Whether the Hokage's decision was just or not, whether it was called for or not, it was an affront on Sasuke directly. He has no reason to remain with the Leaf, and has every reason to hate them. That's why I would only accept an ending where he dies or where he becomes a wanderer. His return to the Leaf and Team 7 is the most ridiculous, anticlimactic ending I can possibly imagine. I hate it when stories like this are reduced to sentiments of good and evil. It's never that simple.

Naruto's goal is foolish and naive in the first place. He's not trying to save Sasuke, because Sasuke doesn't want to be saved and there is nothing to definitively save him from. He's just trying to bring his friend back to his side, and unless Kishimoto sells out to the cliche "and they all lived happily ever after" ending, it will not happen. Nor should it. Sasuke owes no allegiance to the Leaf, and he is justified for distancing himself from them.

Live. But out of the village. Because this wishy-washy friendship over politics business is nonsense and cliche.