
And before anyone feels the need to swoop in and remind the faithful that anything is possible and to believe otherwise is to be in denial, I think it's very safe to say that everyone here is aware of that by now. It's not over until it's over. So stipulated.
That said, I still believe NS is endgame and as my grandmother used to say, "If I'm wrong I'll eat my hat."
But that's the only assumption I'm willing to make at this point. How we're going to get there? I really have no clear idea.
Taking Sasuke's recent turn toward good at face value for a moment, asking how Naruto will play a part in Sasuke's redemption now is a legitimate question.
One thing I can't reconcile is Orochimaru, the guy I love to hate. His return to the story at this point nags at me, as does his unfinished agenda. Orochimaru is Sasuke's clearest parallel, and represents Jiraiya's most significant and heartfelt failure. Does that still mean anything?
What if, after the Obito/Madara/Juubi/Edo Kage resolution, Orochimaru pulls the last ace from his sleeve and finally succeeds in taking control of Sasuke's body? What if Naruto ends up having to fight OrochiSasuke? What if to "save" Sasuke, Naruto has to face the possibility of killing him in order to kill Orochimaru?
What if, in classic Return of the Jedi fashion, Sasuke's allegiance to Naruto is stronger than Orochimaru's will, and neither guy can bring himself to kill the other. What if, just as he did in the ice prison against Haku, Sasuke does whatever it takes to sabotage Orochimaru and preserve Naruto's life?
What if they both end up beaten nearly to death, and Sakura can only save one?
Too much like Star Wars and the OVA, I suppose.

Bottom line, I don't trust Orochimaru. If Sasuke has already made his own decision to turn good, I have a nagging feeling that Orochimaru will be the wildcard that changes Sasuke's fortune again. And considering Karin's long-standing loyalty to Orochimaru, it would be interesting to see how she would react to OrochiSasuke....
/random thoughts
Well, I did say "I think..." but yeah, I understand. I wasn't in red zone, though I was leaning towards to yellow sign, until I read some more. I calmed down, but the idea of both of them taking on the world just seem too bleh. This goes the same for any other pairings. Let's be realistic and not go all...whatever it is. Working together is nice but there's a limit. Luckily, that didn't happen. So, at least in future games I don't have to play a boss battle with that, but I digress. Funny how Hinata still didn't get one. Hm... Anyway, I don't know about Sasuke but it's not over. For now, I see it as "enemy of my enemy is my friend" for now.
Time is near and I'm getting colder here.
