Let's put it this way: her Uzumaki heritage might either be used for something relevant (hence serving as another example to prove that no, Karin hasn't outlived her role) or it might quietly fade into the background without any fuss. While we may argue in favor of one possibility or another, fact remains that right now, both could happen. We won't know whether it means anything or not until the manga ends and we can say for sure. So we'll have to wait and seeing what he does with it.
I still ask myself the same thing whenever I remember it. I thought Kishi had decided to keep Sasuke "dark" and as a clear antagonist until his fight with Naruto; otherwise I saw no point to it. But to be honest, the moment I heard that Kishi "recently" decided on "such turn of events for Sasuke's character" I figured it'd turn out like this. It's like he did it on a whim and then decided he didn't really want to go there [wherever there was] and so he made Sasuke have yet another change.
I could explain why I feel that it does prove it, but I have the feeling I'd be wasting both of our times because I don't quite think the character interests you enough to read analysis about her :laugh though if I'm wrong, do let me know.
Probably so. I think at this point we are at an impasse for much of what you said. I've read quiet a bit about her, I just don't see it the way you do. Perhaps I am unfair comparing her to Sakura, but I see Sakura as well fleshed out and deep. I see Karin as a pale imitation.
I understand your first point. If you ask me, there are a couple of reasons as to why they haven't been "explained", as you put it, and they all have to do with
Sasuke's brand of character. Sasuke is meant to be mysterious; so his companions and his relationship to them must be mysterious in turn. Sasuke is not a sentimental character; so Taka's development as a Team is not handled with grand declarations of friendship as has more or less been the norm so far, but in subtle ways that still get the message across if one cares to look. Sasuke does not want to accept that he harbors important bonds with people right now; so Taka has to wait to be addressed because Sasuke indeed is their main link to the story. I won't deny that their main purpose is to exist as a Team for him; a team that compliments and balances him out. They were needed for Sasuke's character; because he needed other people to bond with, too.
I've heard they were forced on him by his editors. I tend to believe that because they, to me, are handled like he has no idea what he wants to do with them. Except for Karin's imitation of a barometer they have always felt this way. I don't think there is a deep, hidden reason for their handling.
He has a habit of creating characters for a singular purpose and when done with that purpose allows to hang around like moldy cheese. So he has a ton of characters who could be interesting if fleshed out. It was a valuable lesson to me. if I ever wrote character control will be at the forfront of my mind. I think it's an understandable mistake. I just hope he sees it and avoids it in future works.
Finally, like many other aspects, I disagree that they were needed. I don't think they have be able to bring out anything in his character that could have been done in their absence. This is especially true of Suigetsu and Juugo.
If I could only ask him one question there inclusion would be it.
Now, now, I'd hardly call Juugo and Suigetsu falling into a cave a "moment under the sun"
I believe there's more in store for them and that there's foreshadowing supporting it, so let's wait and see.
It's not. I just think it's the closest they will ever get. It's the only they ever did that could be called moving the plot.
It seems I'm rooting for you to have more reasons to hate them then
But to be fair, it's hard to compare Sakura and Kakashi's treatment to Taka's. As you said, Sakura and Kakashi have been here since the beginning; Sakura in particular we have seen grow up right in front of our very eyes. Taka is different because when they were introduced, they had already gone through the tragedies that shaped their lives and their personalities; more-over, while they were introduced in 2007, they have gone MIA from the manga for extended periods of time whenever Sasuke takes a break. So most of their development comes from the development of their bonds as a team; which again, while it isn't in your face as tends to be the case in the manga, it is there.
It's probably not fair, but the treatment they got could have been something the author was doing with Not Seven since they came into being. They have been around for a long time and yet, for all that, stagnant comes to mind as a way to describe two of the three. I running out of negative descriptors to use for what he did to Karin.
The development of their bonds is not in your face because it borders on non-existent. I call them Team Not Seven (Broken Figurine is the creator of that) because they are such a cheap imitation of the original. I think Naruto's relationship with Sai has gotten better attention.
But that's the thing, he didn't have to rewrite anything because he wasn't contradicting anything. I understand why you may consider it lazy writing so while I may not share your opinion, I won't dispute it. About 485 though, the thing is that the translation didn't really capture the feeling of the line; it was pretty obvious all along that Karin wasn't over Sasuke nor anywhere close to getting over him. Taking into account her background, I also disagree with Sasuke saving her being the sole basis of her feelings for him. But since this hasn't been shown on panel, I understand why you may see it that way.
Then what is it? Even those feelings matter or are serious then shouldn't we know? Even Hinata is treated better than this.
And that's just it. Not shown on panel? That's barely a step from not happening. It's too akin to that that it, to me, is an argument with no weight. If these feelings and her character are important they should get shown. The fact that you have to say that speaks volumes.
Not contradicting anything isn't anything to write home about. Instead of developing them from her introduction he went back and crammed it in a flashback into. It's one of his big crutches as an author. It's lazy and a cop-out. It sucks.
) about the matter, I've made a post gathering some of the instances that show it more clearly 
just as you said, Kishi does seem to love that sort of thing.
