Right, got in the mood to talk a bit more about what I call the Tragedy of Sasuke leaving the Village.
Before that to make sure I connect it to the topic. Why I focus on part one and don't really bring up part two except for 693? Well to put it simply; there is no point. Therece made it clear, like a lot of American fans, they don't consider Part Two of Naruto that important. This can be seen by the fact they wanted us to consider part one was solely about SS, NS only supposedly existed in part two, and so it is natural that SS got together as part one is clearly more important. I just like to point out that part one is less than 250 chapters of a 700 chapter story. So apparently over 450 chapters are just irrelevant.
So, there really isn't a point in going over the many NS interactions in part two because she doesn't consider them important. Such as Sakura flirting, swooning, and being upset about Naruto still being immature after not seeing him for 2 /12 years because she was falling for him? Doesn't matter. Sakura's sadness as well as her talk with Naruto after he tells her he is the host of Kurama, her asking if it possible to remove a demon from their container, and then crying when realizing that doing so will result in Naruto's death, so he is stuck being the host of Kurama till he dies? Doesn't matter. Her horrified reaction to the Four-tail mode and her begging Naruto to stop and no longer chase after Sasuke alone so he doesn't have to transform into that again, her crying over the fact she can't seem to do anything for him, and her hiding how she got injured because she doesn't want him to feel guilty? Doesn't matter. Her offering to feed Naruto ramen when his arm is in a cast? Doesn't matter. Her calling out to Naruto to save them from Pein, her hugging him in front of the whole village, and her trying to cheer him up about Tsunade in a coma? Doesn't matter. Her willing to throw away her feelings for Sasuke to the point of trying to kill him solely so Naruto no longer has to suffer from the promise he made to her? Wait. That one does matter as to her its proof that NS should never happen.
See apparently, its wrong for a women like Sakura to end up in a relationship out of guilt, however it is completely fine for men like Sasuke to end up in a relationship out of guilt.
Anyways, Chapter 693 is the only time Sasuke has ever expressed his feelings about Sakura to anyone; besides telling her directly he doesn't like her.
Now, on to the end of part one which was the culmination of Sasuke's relationship to that point.
Let us start at the hospital in chapter 173. Sasuke had just spent, what was it about 3-4 months in a coma after his brother defeated him. He remembers that Itachi said he was weak because he lacks enough hatred in his heart. He then looks at Sakura cutting up an apple, recalling her thanking him for saving her from Gaara and him having clarified that it was Naruto, he remembers the looks she gave Naruto, and feels jealous at Naruto's growing power. When she is done, she presents one of the apple slices she was cutting for him to eat, this is to show her care and feelings for him. Sasuke coldly smacks the offered piece to the floor, which also leads to the rest of the apple pieces falling to the ground as well, rejecting her compassion and feelings. Leading to a cold and awkward atmosphere when Naruto comes in and notices the situation with the apples on the ground. Sasuke sees Naruto, gives him a deadly look, still thinking of Itachi and his interest in Naruto, challenges Naruto to a fight.
Sakura tries to put a stop to it, but Sasuke while he is leaving stomps on her apple slices. Therefore stomping on her feelings. Silencing her and making her think of the curse seal and Orochimaru.
Naruto is happy because he thinks this is a spar, he wants to show how strong he has gotten to the point he feels he can match Sasuke now, for what its worth I think the story surprisingly implies that Naruto is stronger than Sasuke at this moment, if for nothing else Sasuke has spent the last few months in a coma, and ask Sasuke to put his headband to show they are sparring as equals. Sasuke refuses as he is doing this to confirm to himself that Naruto is still his inferior. This leads to a spat that breaks out into a fight. Sakura, who is watching them fight, sees it as a brutal fight to the death instead of a spar and charges in the middle of them to try and stop them. She decides to do this, right as both of them have charge up their strongest attacks, and have already launched themselves in a way they feel they can't stop. Meaning that if she got to the middle she would be hit by both attacks and possibly die. Horrifying both. Thankfully, Kakashi intervenes and throws them to the two water towers.
Kakashi chews them both out for using such dangerous jutsu against each other and the fact they almost hit Sakura. He also notices that Sasuke's chidori was charged at the level of being able to kill and question if he was planning on killing Naruto. Horrifying Sakura. However, Sasuke cares more about the aftereffects of their jutsu. Sasuke's Chidori let him punch a hole in his tower while Naruto barely made a dent. This pleased Sasuke, as it initially confirmed that his jutsu was the stronger of the two, therefore he was the stronger of the two. That is, until he sees the back and sees that Naruto's rasengan blew a giant hole in the back in his water tower. Realizing in shock that Naruto's jutsu was stronger this quickly turned into frustration.
Kakashi and Jiraiya have a talk and Kakashi brings up the fact the Sasuke has a superiority-inferiority complex. He must be better than everyone or he is worthless, he can't stand the thought of someone being his equal particularly Naruto. And that, Naruto has gotten so sick of Sasuke thinking he was better than him he desperately wants to prove to Sasuke he is his equal. They both agree to have a talk with their students, but before that Kakashi tries to reassure Sakura everything will be alright. Once he leaves, Naruto talks to Sakura ashamed and horrified that he almost killed her, asks that she not do that again. Jiraiya then appears before Naruto as he doesn't need a lecture to understand what he did was wrong.
Kakashi traps Sasuke, as he believes Sasuke will just brush him off otherwise. Kakashi chews him out for using the chidori against Naruto, that he should abandon his quest for revenge, and instead enjoy his new life with his friends on team 7. Sasuke initially brushes him off until Kakashi reveals that just like Sasuke before he joined Team 7. All the people he cared about were dead and Kakashi was starting new bonds with Naruto and Sakura just like Sasuke was. However, his end message is abandon his quest for revenge for the joy of spending time with his friends weighs heavy for Sasuke. As he does care about his teammates, but he also made it his purpose in life to avenge his family. This also leads to the counter offer of Orochimaru's delivered by the Sound Four of abandon your friends for the power to take revenge. This weighs on Sasuke as a difficult choice but in the end he chooses revenge.
We then see Sakura at home thinking over everything. After Naruto asked her not to interfere in their fight. Sakura remembers the order from Sasuke that she has kept till now, to not inform Naruto about the curse seal. She decides to finally break that promise and even makes it a date with Naruto to tell him. In the anime, they do this at the ramen shop. In the manga, they do it on the bench that Naruto complimented her forehead. Naruto reassures Sakura that Sasuke won't go to Orochimaru which she is grateful for, but she still doubts Sasuke.
So, she waits for him on the road the leads out of the village, near the bench where she thinks Sasuke complimented her forehead.
Now, before we get to that lets look at Sasuke's character or more accurately the character of his archetype the Stock Shounen Rival. Which covers characters before Naruto that help form Sasuke as Kishimoto melded their traits together to create the ultimate rival for Naruto like Vegeta of Dragon Ball, Kaede Rukawa of Slam Dunk, Hiei of Yu Yu Hakusho, Seto Kaiba of Yu-Gi-Oh, and Killua of Hunter X Hunter. As well as characters after that were inspired by Sasuke such as Katsuki Bakugo of My Hero Academy, Megumi Fushiguro of Jujutsu Kaisen, Yuno of Black Clover, and Aki Hayakawa of Chainsaw Man. The most important trait of the archetype is their pride. They are characters of immense pride, they have such pride in their abilities while they dislike it being challenged by fools. They despise taking credit for something they didn't do, doing underhanded acts to win a fight, or begging for power from someone else. Them doing so, is suppose to show their lowest points and how desperate they are.
Why this is important is that every characters read on Sasuke (except Sakura) is that he would not RANDOMLY go to Orochimaru for power; though there is always the possibility he would seek power for revenge if offered. That is why most don't warn him about Orochimaru but instead warn him about the dangers of revenge. Even Orochimaru knew this, that is why he sent the Sound Four with his offer. So, even when Sakura is right about something about Sasuke -normally when she is thinking of him negatively- she still doesn't really understand him.
Chapter 181 The conclusion of SS. Sasuke walks past Sasuke dismissing her. Once she starts talking he hears her out but he does not look at her. As he is already set on leaving the village. However, he does give her the chance to convince him to stay. She fails to connect with him like Kakashi was able to as she based their bond on a love that isn't there for Sasuke and he doesn't reciprocate. So Sasuke is able to dismiss all her arguments while she becomes increasingly more heartbroken and desperate. Resorting to even confessing her feelings to convince him to stay or even take him with her. Which he clearly sees as her last argument. So the conversation over, he teasingly calls her annoying, and he starts walking. Then as a last resort she threatens to scream and make a ruckus so other will hear so Sasuke can't leave forcing him to knock her out. He thanks her for the time they spent on team 7 and to officially dismiss her confession. After this their bond has ended as far as Sasuke is concern; which is why he treats her they way he does in part two.
...Should I go over the Promise. Only Sakura's reaction to it. When she begs Naruto to bring Sasuke back saying he is the only one that can do it. Naruto acknowledges that Sakura really cares about Sasuke. This cause Sakura to think back to her conversation with "Sasuke." Where she makes clear what she dislikes about Naruto is that he keeps interfering in her trying to win Sasuke's heart and the feelings he doesn't understand her or even enjoys watching her be miserable. While he is making the promise she realize that is not the case in the slightest.
Naruto doesn't start his fight with Sasuke until 218 and the important part is 229. The problem Naruto faces with Sasuke is he has already gotten a taste of the power Orochimaru's promised him. The power-high has convinced him, he has made the right decision to abandon his friends for power. Of course, the reader should know that he is a moron. As Orochimaru was planning on taking over his body the second he arrived. It was only because the Leaf kept delaying his escort that Orochimaru was forced to go into another body and fulfill his promise to train him to keep him around for three years. Sasuke goes through his backstory to explain why he is considering killing Naruto for even more power. To the point, he even tried to aim his second chidori at Naruto's heart before it was deflected to the right lung. Naruto finally does get through when he makes it clear that he considers Sasuke his first bond, he is a dear friend to him, and like a brother to him, but again it is already too late and Sasuke has made his choice. Only if Naruto could beat him, would he go back to the village. In the end, though he lost Naruto was able to prove Sasuke's boast wrong by landing a scratch on his forehead protector, Sasuke was unable to go through with killing Naruto, and so their bond remained throughout part two.
So, to round it all up. Kakashi is able to connect with Sasuke through their shared lost, he just had the bad luck of the Sound Four coming in after him; afterwards Sasuke dismisses all his lessons and no longer respects him. Sakura can't connect because she doesn't understand him and what she wants he doesn't reciprocate; leading to their bond being severed. Naruto can connect through their shared loneliness and finding friendship/brotherhood between them but he was only able to talk to Sasuke far too late to stop him.
Edited by Bail o' Lies, 09 July 2024 - 12:55 AM.
