My anime/manga obsession (aka: hypothesising what the heck will happen next!)
The Naruto manga has been put on a week's hiatus (possibly due to a public holiday in Japan this week)... and the author has done what every good author does: LEAVES WITH A CLIFFHANGER! Whilst it has frustrated many readers, it does provide the opportunity to theorise whats happening next.
For those who don't know what the heck I'm talking about: Naruto is an anime/manga series which is now as big as Dragon Ball, and one of the top-3 favourites at the moment (the other 2 being Bleach and One Piece). It follows the story of orphan mischief-maker Naruto Uzumaki: a misunderstood and hated kid who dreams of being the Hokage - the top ninja of the village in which he lives (kind of like the Prime Minister). To top it off, he was chosen as the container for a demon fox that attacked his village during his birth. It currently is close to 400 manga chapters (a chapter being approx 18pages long in this instance), 2 anime series (Naruto, and Naruto: Shippuuden) and 5 anime movies.
Anyways: on to my theories. Heaps has been happening - much of it throwing huge twists into the plot! For those reading who actually read the manga DO NOT READ BEYOND THIS POINT if you don't want the story spoiled or if you don't care for fan theories.
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Hok.
Probably one of the biggest twists has been the role of Itachi Uchiha. As it was revealed in the latest chapter, he wasn't as bad as first thought. In fact, he was trying to protect his ikkle brother-kins Sasuke.
Maybe we should've seen this coming: 1) he didn't kill him in the first place (prolly due to needing him as a spare).
2) he had many opportunities to kill not only Sasuke, but take Naruto's demon and sack the entire villiage of Konoha... and didn't.
Maybe we need more clues, but it certainly seems that Itachi as been portrayed as a black sheep or a blessing in disguise. There are still many mysteries...
Perhaps Konoha knew of his true intentions? Maybe that's why he wasn't apprehended in the first place... besides his high skill and threat level.
How did Itachi die exactly? How did he transfer his skills to Sasuke?
And why was the Uchiha clan wiped off the face of the planet, leaving only Itachi, Sasuke, and an ancestor who should be by all rights dead or in a nursing home?
That brings me to my second discussion point: the mysterious Tobi and his link to the Uchiha.
It was made clear in the recent chapter that Tobi is indeed Madara Uchiha: "founder" of the Uchiha clan over 60years previous (during the time of the Shodaime [first] Hokage).
WTF?? Shouldn't he be dead? He was at least 20-40yrs old during the time of the Shodaime...
As for Sasuke, how will he fare now that he's with the person his brother tried to protect him from? And to what extent does he possess Itachi's skills?
Also still needing to be resolved: will Naruto ever know about his parents? Why is it being hidden? You'd think that the very obvious similarity between himself and a certain Hokage would make everyone look twice. Also, what became of his mother? They speak of her as if she was dead: is she? How did she die? Who looked after Naruto during his infant years? Will he ever find out his connection to Jiraiya?
Concerning the author's most recent interview: who does Sakura have to lose? Naruto has lost Jiraiya and his parents, Sasuke has lost his entire family, so who? Tsunade? Her own parents? Her teammates? Her best friend (and past rival)?
Naruto's story still has to be completed, Sakura's has yet to start: the focus for the moment is definately on Sasuke - what will the outcome be? Will he return to Konoha? Will he too die? Will he be tempted once again for a power that seems too good to be true?
Ahhh, the wonders of fandom.....
On a minor note: I went to see Carl Barron this evening. Funny as! If you get a chance, go see him - or buy his DVD.