286 replies to this topic

[sushi.]

^I know, and the first picture of food is so detailed and the rest are barely sketches!

[rocci]

@nostradamus
Try to read that so you can understand why kishi write something like this.
If you don't want to waste your time, read their article in wiki. But I really recommend you to read slamdunk since it consider by many as the wor of a genius. While I believe kishi approach of the story is the same with takehiko inoe and that is drama. While one is shonen sport manga(slamdunk) and the other is a battle manga(naruto).

[Hanabi]

the chicken looks good at least.

[BakeNeko-Chan]

 

 

The thing is, as stupid and annoying as we readers might find that statement, that's how Naruto truly feels.  It's what he wants and what he believes.

 

And really, it's appropriate that we find it stupid and annoying.  That's what everyone who encounters Naruto thinks of his ways and beliefs at one point or another.  His methods and approach have always carried the hallmark of being stupid and annoying.

 

In the days since I first posted my moderate rant about this chapter, I have reached the conclusion that for Naruto to act / think / say anything else would be out of character.  He's not complex.  He's a simple, black-and-white kind of guy.  If he doesn't believe Sasuke is his true enemy, then he believes Sasuke is his true friend.

 

It's the same with Sakura.  He loves her absolutely, and in a way that matters more to him than whether she loves him.  Of course he wishes she did, as we saw very clearly in #469, but believing she loved Sasuke never changed his heart where she was concerned.  

 

Naruto considers Sasuke his friend.  He believes they understand each other, deep down, and evidence suggests that's true.  We have seen Naruto be the only one to whom Sasuke will listen, even if it's just to fling Naruto's friendship back in his face.

 

Speaking for myself, as much as I would personally like to see Naruto rip out Sasuke's heart and smear it all over his life, I must accept that such a thing is not Naruto's way.  He's a sacrificial person, and one who truly believes in love and friendship.  And he doesn't carry a grudge; Dark Naruto had surprisingly little to show for himself at the Falls of Truth.  

 

Sigh.  The very quality that has made Naruto endearing in his love for Sakura -- the quiet, steadfast true love and support from a distance -- is the same quality that causes heartburn when it is directed toward Sasuke.  But that's Naruto's soul in action.  He's pretty much all or nothing. (Sorry NH fans, but it's true.   )

 

I keep going back to the Ice Prison fight when Naruto and Sasuke took on Haku.  Sasuke said that saving Naruto was a result of his body moving on its own, but that was a non-committal non-answer.  The truth was that Sasuke's instinct was to side with Naruto -- to fight with him, and protect him when necessary.

 

We haven't seen it for a while, but that shred of decency -- that little kernel of brotherhood -- is still inside Sasuke somewhere.  Naruto will find a way to reach that bit of Sasuke's humanity, and together they'll change things.

 

It might not seem fair to us -- because Sasuke is such a colossal asshat -- but joining forces with Sasuke, and even sharing the credit for world peace, is what Naruto wants.  The genuine smile on his face in this recent chapter proves it. 

 

 

As much as I struggle to understand Naruto's dedication to Sasuke and his adamant and unwavering faith in their bond, I feel at this point I just have to accept it for what it is. It's definitely not going to change. Naruto isn't going to suddenly wake up and think maybe Sasuke wasn't such a great friend after all and decide that he's not worth the effort. It just doesn't fit with Naruto's personality or his glass is half-full ideology.

On the one hand, I admire that ability to see the best in others that Naruto has in spades but at the same time, why Sasuke? Of all the people it's difficult to see what it is about Sasuke that should inspire such loyalty. But then again, maybe it has more to do with Naruto's characterization than any worthiness on Sasuke's part. At least, I hope so.

 

By the way, your signature gave me a little chuckle when I first saw it.

[Namaenash]

@nostradamus
Try to read that so you can understand why kishi write something like this.
If you don't want to waste your time, read their article in wiki. But I really recommend you to read slamdunk since it consider by many as the wor of a genius. While I believe kishi approach of the story is the same with takehiko inoe and that is drama. While one is shonen sport manga(slamdunk) and the other is a battle manga(naruto).

Slam Dunk is definitely one of my all time favorite (after FMA and GTO). It has one of the most expressive drawing, and you can sort of emotionally relate to the manga just by browsing the panels --which typically has less dialogue.. Kudos to the author.

Edited by Namaenash, 08 April 2014 - 10:31 PM.

[redragon88]

Is Naruto's believe that there's good in Sasuke such a foreign theme for people here? It sure isn't something original from this story.

 

At the top of my head there's Luke Skywalker with his believe that there was still good inside his dad, Darth Vader.

 

If people have an issue with Sasuke being redeemed and having to face no consequence, that I completely get. After all in Vader's case his redemption came at the price of his life, and in other cases the redeemed bad guys either go to jail or need to do work in order to amend.

 

But really, the hero believing that the villain can be saved has been done to death. Naruto is not doing anything that hasn't been done before.

[KnS]

Is Naruto's believe that there's good in Sasuke such a foreign theme for people here? It sure isn't something original from this story.

 

No, it's not a foreign theme to me.

 

But really, the hero believing that the villain can be saved has been done to death. Naruto is not doing anything that hasn't been done before.

 

No, Naruto isn't taking a new or strange path for a hero.  But whether or not it's been done a million times before isn't the point.

 

The problem with Sasuke is that -- in my opinion, at least -- Kishimoto has not done enough to sell him to me as a character worthy of redemption or Naruto's sacrifice.  Neither did he lay a compelling foundation of brotherhood bonds from Sasuke's side to survive my disbelief and disgust at his actions.

 

For some fans (like me) Sasuke is not likeable.  His issues and challenges are not interesting or believable.  His motivation makes no sense and changes frequently.  He's not a strong enough character to be a credible force in the story -- for good or bad.  

 

I mean, Sasuke doesn't even make a convincing villain.  As Nate River has said several times, Kishimoto has sheltered Sasuke from any action or belief that truly scars his character.  Perhaps that's an artifact of shonen manga, but considering some of the darkness and graphic violence Kishimoto has written it just seems more like a conscious cop out.  The result, for me, is a vanilla character who Naruto is going to the ends of the earth to save even if it means his own life.  

 

The fact that this sort of "hero desires to save the villain" theme has been used so often is exactly why Kishimoto's treatment seems to miss the mark.  In order to believe in the conflict, in the hero's goal, you have to believe in his reasons.  Or at least understand them.  

 

We know what Naruto's reasons are, but it's a purely cerebral exercise for me.  I don't feel a connection to his need to save Sasuke.  It's not real or compelling to me.  When I find myself asking, "Why does Naruto think of Sasuke as a brother, and why does he matter so much?" the answer is, "Oh right, because Kishimoto said so." 

 

I have to focus on Naruto's purity of spirit and simply accept it because if I look at Sasuke at all it breaks down.

[tricksie]

We know what Naruto's reasons are, but it's a purely cerebral exercise for me.  I don't feel a connection to his need to save Sasuke.  It's not real or compelling to me.  When I find myself asking, "Why does Naruto think of Sasuke as a brother, and why does he matter so much?" the answer is, "Oh right, because Kishimoto said so." 

 

I have to focus on Naruto's purity of spirit and simply accept it because if I look at Sasuke at all it breaks down.

 

 

So I've been reading your posts and trying to sort out what it is about the Naruto/Sasuke dynamic that never feels quite right to me....

 

So, I think what bothers me most is not that Kishimoto drives his main characters to reconnect with their brother-enemies (Naruto-Sasuke, and also Kakashi-Obito). Nor do I think their unending drive to save their former friend tarnishes their personal character (Naruto and Kakashi never giving up is still in line with who they are and why I like them).

 

What bothers me most is that at the moment of reunion, the main characters go from acknowledgement/forgiveness to trusting partnership in a few sentences. Naruto (and Kakashi) jump right back into their old teammate status as if nothing has happened. 

 

I know this is a necessary evil for manga. Wham-bam, have the reunion of former enemies then immediately move on. But I can never help but feel it isn't authentic to who the characters have evolved into. The immediate partnership always feels so forced, and feels like something the reader just has to accept. No matter if it feels forced or not.

 

It would make sense for Naruto to have some little anger and still want to show off or one-up is old frenemy. And it would make sense for Sasuke to shun a partnership that he has spent so much time running away from.

 

I gues what I mean is that by forcing time to rewind the clock and jump right back into seamless partnership feels...wrong. It should be awkward, rusty, uncomfortable, with some lingering distrust. But there should also be hope that one day it will get back to the way it used to be. Or transform to something better. And this element, the hope, is what the main character should be bringing to the partnership equation, as the hero. He's the one who carries the extra weight that tips the scales.

 

I know it can be argued that Naruto does all these things, not outwardly but through subtle intention. But I feel like all the Sasuke/Naruto even-stevens business undermines Naruto's real motivation as the hero of the story. Singular. 

 

Anyway, I don't know if I'm making much sense. I think I just wish there was a little more depth on the resolution of their character friction. I wish they'd show a little more human emotion and less 'smoothing things over quickly and moving on.' (Although, I will add, I'm happy that Sakura and Sai are observant and distrustful of Sasuke at the same time they are supportive of Naruto. This feels like an authentic response to me.)

 

 But I just keep thinking that Kishimoto writes really sticky situations for the characters to get out of, and just when I'm so looking forward to seeing how they'll solve this problem, Kishi writes some easy way out. I keep thinking that a complicated relationship will have a complicated resolution. But the resolution doesn't really match the problem.

 

It's not hard for me to get on board and get behind Naruto. But it's hard for me to get behind his partnership with Sasuke, just because I don't think there's enough depth there for me to believe in it.

 

That's what's hard for me as I read. That while I like Naruto, but I wish there was more of an authentic response. There is such a disparity in development between him and Sasuke that makes their immediate partnership feel wrong. Sasuke shouldn't want to revert to his old Team 7 self, and Naruto should be making the discovery that while he desperately wants that, his development has changed him so that he can no longer fit into those old roles either. (alright, I think I rambling)

 

So here's my confession: those big panels where they are working together as partners, the full-pages ones that are meant to be bittersweet and emotional for the reader, just don't do it for me. They always leave me wanting a little more.

 

lol - sorry for the LAP, didn't realize how much i'd written!

[Nostradamus]

W

 

The thing is, as stupid and annoying as we readers might find that statement, that's how Naruto truly feels.  It's what he wants and what he believes.

 

And really, it's appropriate that we find it stupid and annoying.  That's what everyone who encounters Naruto thinks of his ways and beliefs at one point or another.  His methods and approach have always carried the hallmark of being stupid and annoying.

 

In the days since I first posted my moderate rant about this chapter, I have reached the conclusion that for Naruto to act / think / say anything else would be out of character.  He's not complex.  He's a simple, black-and-white kind of guy.  If he doesn't believe Sasuke is his true enemy, then he believes Sasuke is his true friend.

 

It's the same with Sakura.  He loves her absolutely, and in a way that matters more to him than whether she loves him.  Of course he wishes she did, as we saw very clearly in #469, but believing she loved Sasuke never changed his heart where she was concerned.  

 

Naruto considers Sasuke his friend.  He believes they understand each other, deep down, and evidence suggests that's true.  We have seen Naruto be the only one to whom Sasuke will listen, even if it's just to fling Naruto's friendship back in his face.

 

Speaking for myself, as much as I would personally like to see Naruto rip out Sasuke's heart and smear it all over his life, I must accept that such a thing is not Naruto's way.  He's a sacrificial person, and one who truly believes in love and friendship.  And he doesn't carry a grudge; Dark Naruto had surprisingly little to show for himself at the Falls of Truth.  

 

Sigh.  The very quality that has made Naruto endearing in his love for Sakura -- the quiet, steadfast true love and support from a distance -- is the same quality that causes heartburn when it is directed toward Sasuke.  But that's Naruto's soul in action.  He's pretty much all or nothing. (Sorry NH fans, but it's true.   )

 

I keep going back to the Ice Prison fight when Naruto and Sasuke took on Haku.  Sasuke said that saving Naruto was a result of his body moving on its own, but that was a non-committal non-answer.  The truth was that Sasuke's instinct was to side with Naruto -- to fight with him, and protect him when necessary.

 

We haven't seen it for a while, but that shred of decency -- that little kernel of brotherhood -- is still inside Sasuke somewhere.  Naruto will find a way to reach that bit of Sasuke's humanity, and together they'll change things.

 

It might not seem fair to us -- because Sasuke is such a colossal asshat -- but joining forces with Sasuke, and even sharing the credit for world peace, is what Naruto wants.  The genuine smile on his face in this recent chapter proves it. 

 

Look I get the fact that Naruto views Sasuke as his friend and it's part of the shonen genre. But why not make it believable. Instead of having Naruto say "We're great friends, you know." which is just ridiculous. How about having Naruto saying "Truth is Sasuke and I don't really see eye to eye these days. But I hope that we can be friends again." you know something like that in order to show the readers that Naruto has grown up, that he views the things around him the way they are. That he understands that maybe he cannot change everyone for a simple reason not everyone wants to be changed.

The Sasuke that actually cared about his comrades is along gone, unless Kishi makes Sasuke more bipolar than he already is.

 

This whole Naruto and Sasuke brotherly bond nonsense ruined the story. Everything Naruto does has to somehow connect to Sasuke. He cannot become Hokage because he must save Sasuke, he cannot confess his love to Sakura because he must save Sasuke, he cannot live his life because he must save Sasuke and on and on.

 

The fact of the matter is everyone and everything in Naruto's life takes a back seat when it comes to Sasuke.

Edited by Nostradamus, 07 April 2014 - 03:41 PM.

[TacticalFox88]

I know this is shounen, but let's call this bullsh** for what it really is and keep it real. 

 

Kishimoto is trying to convince me and other readers that Team 7 had this deep, meaningful bond, that was broken and tainted by Sasuke when he left to join Orochimaru, god knows how long ago.

 

Here's the kittening thing Kishimoto:

 

THEY HAD NO BOND OUTSIDE OF BEING ON THE SAME TEAM!!! (NaruSaku excluded, obviously) 

 

Let's go all the way back to part 1 and see things for what they really are: Naruto was a freaking moron (still is, really.), Sakura was an obsessive fangirl who when Kakashi asked what she liked ALL of her answers revolved around Sasuke, and Sasuke, despite the fact that he watched his family be killed repeatedly for three kittening days shows only mild (and I'm being generous) mental instability. If you didn't know his backstory he'd just come off as your typical shounen rival who's there to be "serious" and "cool." 

 

All throughout Part 1, Kishi tried to give this idea that Team 7 are at the very least "friends" at worst and really close at best. But here's the thing: They NEVER did anything remotely close to what friends usually do. Did they ever hang out and just straight chill and talk with each other just to have fun and recreation? In Filler, maybe, but actual canon? None of that "Oh, its implied," kitten sits well with me at all.  Naruto is unquestionably closer to Shika, Choji, Kiba, etc based on what's ACTUALLY SHOWN on panel, rather than the horsekitten "friendship" Kishi THOUGHT was there, when in reality it wasn't. 

 

Then the plot line of Itachi telling Sasuke, "In order to have these eyes, you must kill your best friend." and Naruto showing up in the background as Sasuke thinks of the implications of that. Um...what? No. Just kittening no. At BEST, Sasuke and Naruto had a mutual respect for one another (which obviously changed after the whole Rasengan vs Chidori incident on the rooftop). These two constantly fought, bickered, and in general didn't get along very well, their only saving grace was Plot No Jutsu. You know how when Sasuke and Naruto came up with a plan back in the Wave arc to free Kakashi from Zabuza? Non-verbally at that? I thought "Okay, this is the start of them starting to bond and not be complete kittenheads." Nope. They NEVER show that kind of teamwork again and go back to the status quo of a rivalry that had little-to-no genuine substance and depth. 

 

In short, the whole of the Team 7 reunion is just simply kitten fanservice based on kitten foundation of friendship that was never there. Naruto and Sasuke were never friends. They were simply teammates and acquaintances. In truth, Naruto has been trying to save a guy who was never his friend in the first place and yet the guy has deluded himself into thinking that somehow his "bond" with Sasuke is worth saving despite the fact that he's done absolutely NOTHING to warrant such obsession. Sasuke's line of "What the kitten is wrong with you!?" was never more appropriate.

[TouKen4Life3g]

Ok I'll keep it short because clearly, I lost my factor for today, let alone last night. So here it is:

Naruto and Sasuke did share since age 8. A year passed in Team 7. That's a lot of time to bond. So pretty much, I'm not mad about it. Sure, the middle road of wanting him back is a bit much but that's it. Honestly, I feel like we all need to reread. But whatever. Anyway, waiting for new chapter.

Edited by NaruSaku4Life3g, 07 April 2014 - 07:04 PM.

[KnS]

Naruto and Sasuke did share since age 8. A year passed in Team 7. That's a lot of time to bond. So pretty much, I'm not mad about it. Sure, the middle road of wanting him back is a bit much but that's it. Honestly, I feel like we all need to reread. 

 

Rereading is always fun and not a bad idea, but I don't see how doing so will make Sasuke's characterization any better.  I truly don't enjoy being negative, and as a would-be writer myself I have spent a lot of time on this site defending Kishimoto.  But for many readers there is a key element missing in the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke:  believability.

 

For example, remember the scene where Shikamaru finds Naruto with the melting popsicle, grieving over Jiraiya's death?  Remember the words of encouragement from Shikamaru?

 

 

He reached out to Naruto in solidarity, proving that he understood Naruto's pain and cared enough to refocus Naruto's attention on his goals.  He reminded Naruto that only through becoming "cool" like Asuma and Jiraiya would they be worthy of the faith those men had had in them, and that they had to keep moving forward because someday leadership would be in their hands.

 

Yeah.  In that one scene Shikamaru was more of a friend and brother to Naruto than Sasuke has ever been.  Sasuke is too selfish and self-centered to have forged a normal bond with anyone.  

 

We *know* that the bond between Naruto and Sasuke is The Big Bond of the Story^TM, but like I said before, that's only because Kishimoto tells us that's the case.  Not because it's what we have compellingly witnessed through the majority of Sasuke's actions or feelings.

Edited by KnS, 07 April 2014 - 10:09 PM.

[TouKen4Life3g]

Oddly enough, sasuke was the one to ask why the hell you keep chasing me. To be honest, I would have been annoyed if it was a stranger. A complete stranger. Plus, if it wasn't for sasuke showing something Naruto related, like the bridge name, I would have believe this guy truly don't care. I'll say this: it could have been better, sure. Couldn't it be worse? Absolutely.

[redragon88]

@KnS

 

The bond of Naruto and Sasuke is fine with me. I think the difference between us is that you seek way more from it then I do. You put way more expectations in it.

 

Not to say that's wrong. You have the right to critique something if it's not satisfying to you.

 

Why does Naruto think of Sasuke as a brother, and why does he matter so much?

 

Part 1? At it's climax Sasuke admits he views Naruto as his best friend, but that such needs to end for the sake of revenge.

 

Naruto knows that Sasuke forces himself to deny their bond, if that wasn't the case Sasuke wouldn't have been so shocked at Naruto's "because we're friends" during that Summit arc.

[xxRomanceGirlxx]

I understand the SasuNaru unrealism and I can even say I partly agree that Naruto's obsession with Sasuke that is at times extremely hard to believe. They only truly interacted as friends for about a year or so and that's hardly enough time to realistically get that attached to someone.

 

However, I don't think we should focus as much on the logic and more on who Naruto is. Sure, it doesn't make sense for most people to keep trusting and revering someone after multiple attacks, murder attempts, and harsh words that express nothing but contempt. But it makes sense for Naruto. He had absolutely no one and Sasuke was still part of T7, those special people that were technically his first real friends that "saved" him. I once said that Naruto gets attached very easily to people, especially when he was younger while in rant about why he loved Part I Sakura so fast and I apply the same standard with Sasuke. The added bonus is that Sasuke had talent he always wished he had and was the first person who he could relate to on being alone. First has a lot of meaning in this.  

 

So, in a way, when I focus on Naruto's personality, it makes sense to me. Friendship and bonds are everything to him since he had nothing so he would take practically anything and he can't let it go that easily. It all goes back to Team 7 and how Sasuke was "one of those special people". Even if Sasuke's messed up and selfish, I can see why someone with his background would be unable to let go of any bond even the awful ones.

 

While I agree that Naruto's obsession with Sasuke is unrealistic and sometimes downright confusing, I don't agree that the Sasuke-Naruto relationship doesn't have depth to it. Sasuke and Naruto spent a lot of their time fighting and arguing with each other in Part I,but that didn't change how much they really cared about each other. Sasuke even was willing to die for Naruto, giving up all his dreams of killing Itachi for Naruto. Does everyone just forget that scene?

 

Or when Sasuke was initially more worried about Naruto getting killed by Itachi than his revenge itself back in Part I? Or when Sasuke admitted his friendship with Naruto made him look towards the future for a time and they became best friends? Or how Sasuke is so obsessed with severing his bond with Naruto and going through lengths to "kill" him because he thinks it makes it too soft and is a sign of weakness? He wants his bond with Naruto away because it affects him and he wants to prove to himself for whatever reason that it doesn't. Why do you think he makes every effort to deny it? It's not as simple as clear-cut hatred or apathy.

 

Of course, I'm not denying there is a part of Sasuke that legitimately hates Naruto and he is by the far the most selfish and unappreciating "friend" of Naruto's out there. But I don't see this lack of depth. Naruto is still the only person he hasn't completely severed his bond with and even slightly affects him outside of Itachi. No matter how terrible Sasuke is, that says a lot to me considering his detached and self-centered personality.

 

I definitely agree Kishi could've developed it better. Gave them more missions and development so all these SasuNaru focus in Part II would be more believable, but I disagree that the depth wasn't shown. It was mostly in Part I and still echoes in Part II on both sides, even if Sasuke's is considerably more twisted and subtle than it once was.  

 

I'm not trying to get anyone to like Sasuke or SasuNaru, but I'm just saying it's a bit deeper than what some of you say. Naruto's unwavering devotion by far eclipses Sasuke's in pretty much every way possible, but Sasuke is still there in a more selfish, ambivalent, intense love/hate sort of way.

Edited by xxRomanceGirlxx, 08 April 2014 - 02:58 AM.

[luffyq1]

I can feel the Sasuke hate oozing out of my monitor.

[rocci]

@redragon
I agree with you.
I think it would be realistic for some if naruto is truly sasuke blood brother. They only have each other, since they're the last of their family. Maybe some will understand why naruto do that.

But since he's not so I just think he doesn't want to lose his brother.
Maybe if sasuke do what Griffith do then he will not believe in him anymore.

[Otaru]

I think it will be revealed later that Sasuke and Naruto has been raised together by Sasuke's mother when they were babies.
Because Kishimoto once drew them on the same bed as babies.
That would be a beautiful story =)

[Sakamaki Izayoi]

 

So I've been reading your posts and trying to sort out what it is about the Naruto/Sasuke dynamic that never feels quite right to me....

 

So, I think what bothers me most is not that Kishimoto drives his main characters to reconnect with their brother-enemies (Naruto-Sasuke, and also Kakashi-Obito). Nor do I think their unending drive to save their former friend tarnishes their personal character (Naruto and Kakashi never giving up is still in line with who they are and why I like them).

 

What bothers me most is that at the moment of reunion, the main characters go from acknowledgement/forgiveness to trusting partnership in a few sentences. Naruto (and Kakashi) jump right back into their old teammate status as if nothing has happened. 

 

I know this is a necessary evil for manga. Wham-bam, have the reunion of former enemies then immediately move on. But I can never help but feel it isn't authentic to who the characters have evolved into. The immediate partnership always feels so forced, and feels like something the reader just has to accept. No matter if it feels forced or not.

 

It would make sense for Naruto to have some little anger and still want to show off or one-up is old frenemy. And it would make sense for Sasuke to shun a partnership that he has spent so much time running away from.

 

I gues what I mean is that by forcing time to rewind the clock and jump right back into seamless partnership feels...wrong. It should be awkward, rusty, uncomfortable, with some lingering distrust. But there should also be hope that one day it will get back to the way it used to be. Or transform to something better. And this element, the hope, is what the main character should be bringing to the partnership equation, as the hero. He's the one who carries the extra weight that tips the scales.

 

I know it can be argued that Naruto does all these things, not outwardly but through subtle intention. But I feel like all the Sasuke/Naruto even-stevens business undermines Naruto's real motivation as the hero of the story. Singular. 

 

Anyway, I don't know if I'm making much sense. I think I just wish there was a little more depth on the resolution of their character friction. I wish they'd show a little more human emotion and less 'smoothing things over quickly and moving on.' (Although, I will add, I'm happy that Sakura and Sai are observant and distrustful of Sasuke at the same time they are supportive of Naruto. This feels like an authentic response to me.)

 

 But I just keep thinking that Kishimoto writes really sticky situations for the characters to get out of, and just when I'm so looking forward to seeing how they'll solve this problem, Kishi writes some easy way out. I keep thinking that a complicated relationship will have a complicated resolution. But the resolution doesn't really match the problem.

 

It's not hard for me to get on board and get behind Naruto. But it's hard for me to get behind his partnership with Sasuke, just because I don't think there's enough depth there for me to believe in it.

 

That's what's hard for me as I read. That while I like Naruto, but I wish there was more of an authentic response. There is such a disparity in development between him and Sasuke that makes their immediate partnership feel wrong. Sasuke shouldn't want to revert to his old Team 7 self, and Naruto should be making the discovery that while he desperately wants that, his development has changed him so that he can no longer fit into those old roles either. (alright, I think I rambling)

 

So here's my confession: those big panels where they are working together as partners, the full-pages ones that are meant to be bittersweet and emotional for the reader, just don't do it for me. They always leave me wanting a little more.

 

lol - sorry for the LAP, didn't realize how much i'd written!

Agreed, i think the problem started when Sasuke left the village.

If you think like Naruto's objective it was in a way something similar to OP, the main character only had the dream to become kage and was working hard for it and meanwhile he had to deal with the rivalry with Sasuke.

But then Kishi screwed everything.

 

First and most important after Sasuke left the village he became an obstacle to pratically everything Naruto wants to achieve.
It started with "How can i become hokage if i can't save a friend?" second "How can i confess to Sakura if i didnt bring Sasuke back.", third "If you dont save Sasuke victory on this war is meaningless"  fourth "peace cant be achieved if you dont save Sasuke" and etc...

Then it comes the akatsuki which obviously is meant to be the main antagonist of part 2, but it was little focused and we got three arcs of Naruto pursuing Sasuke with some akatsuki's appearances.

 

Kishi forced literally everything he could on the Naruto vs Sasuke thing, instead of being something to just finish the story in fact he turned Sasuke the final boss of the story and an obstacle to everything Naruto fights for, which forces to author to involve Sasuke on every kind of situation Naruto gets in and sharing the protagonism with this character.

Sasuke should not even be fighting on the battle, face the facts he has nothing here, and even the reason for him to be involved on this fight is ridiculous, he's only getting powerups and nothing else.

Edited by Dαrkrєrsŧ, 08 April 2014 - 03:13 PM.

[Rakshasa]

First and most important after Sasuke left the village he became an obstacle to pratically everything Naruto wants to achieve.

It started with "How can i become hokage if i can't save a friend?" second "How can i confess to Sakura if i didnt bring Sasuke back.", third "If you dont save Sasuke victory on this war is meaningless"  fourth "peace cant be achieved if you dont save Sasuke" and etc...

exactly 

oh, Kishi, it would be just wonderful if you erased "Sasuke is my strongest bond ever made", "I can`t imagine my life without him", "Keep the promise" stuff from Naruto`s head, so we all can live happily.. without Sasuke.