Chapter 698: Naruto & Sasuke 5
Spoilers and large images under the cut, of course.
Chapter 698: Naruto and Sasuke 5
SUMMARY
Sasuke and Naruto continue to battle! Kurama flashses back to a conversation he had with Naruto in the past, when he asked how Naruto could be so confident when he couldn't even save Sasuke. At the time, Naruto replied that if he started doubting his own decisions, everything was over. He vowed to save Sasuke.
Sasuke tries to punch Naruto, but Naruto punches him back and slams him into a wall so hard he makes a crator! Sasuke says he wants Naruto to just stay still so he can kill him, but Naruto is understandably unwilling to do so.
Kurama congratulates Naruto on noticing that Sasuke's powers had weakened, but warns that Sasuke must have also realized that Naruto had used up his kyuubi chakra. Sasuke is now about to use the Kagutsuchi, resorting to one last all-out attack. Sasuke has absorbed the kyuubi chakra that Kurama gave Naruto, so now there's just a little left, and Kurama is giving it all to Naruto. And once that chakra is used up, Kurama will fall asleep! So Naruto has to be careful and not let Sasuke absorb any more, because this is it.
Luckily, Sasuke's Rinnegan is still new so he can't absorb chakra and attack at the same time. The two boys leap at each other with their attacks ready, and Kurama remembers the time Naruto said he'd do something about all Naruto's hate. He says that Naruto truly is special to him, so he's sure Sasuke feels the same way.
The two clash, and a massive explosion happens! It looks like the Valley of the End statues aren't going to survive this battle. Which is kind of sad, somewhere a sculptor is just sobbing.
We cut to a panel of the night sky. It seems that both boys were knocked out by the simultaneous attack and have only just awoken.
Sasuke's eyes open, and he spots something...Naruto says that it's just as Sasuke has just noticed, if they move around too much they'll both bleed to death. At long last they can have a real heart-to-heart conversation, because they are literally unable to do anything but talk!
Sasuke asks why Naruto is insisting on getting in his way. After all, he fell into darkness and tried to cut down everything in his way and cut ties with everyone around him. And yet, Naruto never once thought of cutting ties with him. Sasuke doesn't understand it.
(also, I find that flashback panel a little creepy tbh)
Naruto asks, doesn't Sasuke already know? And he teases Sasuke a little for talking so much just because they can't move. But Sasuke has no patience for this and demands that Naruto give him a proper answer.
Naruto replies that it's because Sasuke is his friend.
But Sasuke still isn't content. He asks what exactly being friends means to Naruto. Naruto says that he doesn't really know how to put it into words. It's just that when he hears Sasuke talking about carrying all the hatred of the world and whatnot on his shoulders, he can feel the pain of it too.
It hurts Naruto to hear Sasuke talk like that, so there's no way he can just ignore it! Then he laughs and says that right then he's so hurt all over that he can't do much. Naruto seems calm and accepting of the situation, but Sasuke looks startled by his words.
He flashes back, remembering when they were kids...he knew Naruto was always alone, just as Sasuke, the last of the Uchiha, was always alone. He saw how Naruto acted out so that people would pay him any attention at all. At first that made Sasuke think he was weak and not worth thinking about.
But Sasuke says that after seeing Naruto get scolded so often, for some reason, he kept his eyes o Naruto. And he realized that the 'weakness' he saw had sunk into him too. When he saw Naruto trying to bond with others, it reminded him of his lost family.
He felt relieved...and yet, he thought it made him weak.
Sasuke trained hard to overcome his weakness, but then they ended up in Team 7 together, and it reminded him of his family again. And as they went on missions together, he could tell that both of them were getting stronger, and realized he wanted to fight with Naruto.
Team 7 started to feel like a family to Sasuke...
...and because of that, when he saw Naruto suffering, he felt the pain too. When he came to understand Naruto's pain, for the first time, he considered Naruto his comrade. And yet, he felt like he couldn't let Naruto get stronger than him, and when he saw how strong Naruto had gotten...
Before Sasuke can criticize himself, Naruto interrupts and says that actually, he also knew Sasuke was alone and he was relieved to see that someone else was in the same situation as him. It made him want to talk to Sasuke right away! But he envied Sasuke's skills, so instead he decided Sasuke would be his rival.
Sasuke became Naruto's goal, and for the first time, Naruto had a bond.
During all their missions together, he was always going after Sasuke because he wanted to become cool and strong, just like Sasuke. However, Sasuke says that no, it's just the opposite, he envied Naruto because Naruto had a kind of strength that Sasuke was missing. He always walked in front of Sasuke...just like his older brother.
Then we cut to a panel of the sunrise. Naruto awakens and asks if they're in heaven now. Sasuke says that no, they've just slept until morning, and somehow are still alive. Naruto is upset that he still can't move, because he wanted to get back to punching Sasuke until Sasuke agreed with him!
Sasuke just laughs at that, asking if Naruto really wants to fight in this condition. Naruto says, of course, he's not going to give up! And so instead, Sasuke says that he admits it, he lost the fight.
Naruto shouts that that's dumb, there's no winners and losers in this fight, he's just trying to beat Sasuke up until Sasuke agrees with him! Their real battle will be after that. Sasuke just smiles and says that he's finally acknowledged Naruto, so if he dies now, the destiny that bound them together will die with him. As long as his left eye is given to Kakashi, the Infinite Tsukuyomi can still be disolved.
Naruto angrily tells him that he should live and help out instead of dying! His dream is for all shinobi, including Sasuke, to work together.
Sasuke asks whether that's really going to be all right with all the other shinobi, but Naruto tells him to stop nitpicking or he'll beat him up. Sasuke smiles again and tells Naruto to shut up, just like the old days. Also it seems they punched each other's hand off. Look guys, it's like the blood stains where their hands used to be are holding hands! Except, you know, not because they literally punched each other's hands off.
And that's how the chapter ends. Only two more left, you guys!
REVIEW
Okay, look. I've seen on chuunin that basically everybody loved this chapter and was super touched and stuff, so I really don't know what to say here, because I found it really meh. The art seemed a bit wonky, their conversation didn't really seem that meaningful, and the ongoing retcon-y flashbacks about how ~*deep and special*~ Naruto and Sasuke's bond was as five-year-olds leaves me cold. Also I can't get over how dumb it is that they literally punched each other's hands off and are clearly bleeding, yet haven't bled to death over the course of an ENTIRE DAY of not having the wounds treated whatsoever.
So yeah, I realize that many (probably most?) fans are really loving this chapter and all the Naruto/Sasuke bonding, but I'm just shrugging here. Part of my ongoing complaint with the ending arc and a lot of other post-timeskip stuff is that in real life, I'm actually a researcher in the child development field, so my ability to suspend disbelief for stories with child characters is not that high and a lot of flashbacks to their thoughts as five-year-olds just haven't worked for me. The bottom line is, I just don't have a lot to say about this chapter! But, perhaps everyone else will have more to say in the comments.
In any case, it seems that Naruto and Sasuke are pals again and Sasuke feels better about life and stuff? Now that Sakura is awake, perhaps she'll arrive just in time to heal them and stop them from bleeding to death. And then, it will be time for the resolution of this entire story! Just two chapters left to wrap up the entire manga. It's been over a decade since the start...now the end is finally here, right at chapter 700. This has been a true long-runner.
Writing reviews and having discussions in this community was a lot of fun and also really interesting; I'll miss it, because even though I think the quality of the manga decreased over time, the discussions here were always good. It's been good times, everyone. Here's hoping the ending is amazing! :)
Chapter 698: Naruto and Sasuke 5
SUMMARY
Sasuke and Naruto continue to battle! Kurama flashses back to a conversation he had with Naruto in the past, when he asked how Naruto could be so confident when he couldn't even save Sasuke. At the time, Naruto replied that if he started doubting his own decisions, everything was over. He vowed to save Sasuke.
Sasuke tries to punch Naruto, but Naruto punches him back and slams him into a wall so hard he makes a crator! Sasuke says he wants Naruto to just stay still so he can kill him, but Naruto is understandably unwilling to do so.
Kurama congratulates Naruto on noticing that Sasuke's powers had weakened, but warns that Sasuke must have also realized that Naruto had used up his kyuubi chakra. Sasuke is now about to use the Kagutsuchi, resorting to one last all-out attack. Sasuke has absorbed the kyuubi chakra that Kurama gave Naruto, so now there's just a little left, and Kurama is giving it all to Naruto. And once that chakra is used up, Kurama will fall asleep! So Naruto has to be careful and not let Sasuke absorb any more, because this is it.
Luckily, Sasuke's Rinnegan is still new so he can't absorb chakra and attack at the same time. The two boys leap at each other with their attacks ready, and Kurama remembers the time Naruto said he'd do something about all Naruto's hate. He says that Naruto truly is special to him, so he's sure Sasuke feels the same way.
The two clash, and a massive explosion happens! It looks like the Valley of the End statues aren't going to survive this battle. Which is kind of sad, somewhere a sculptor is just sobbing.
We cut to a panel of the night sky. It seems that both boys were knocked out by the simultaneous attack and have only just awoken.
Sasuke's eyes open, and he spots something...Naruto says that it's just as Sasuke has just noticed, if they move around too much they'll both bleed to death. At long last they can have a real heart-to-heart conversation, because they are literally unable to do anything but talk!
Sasuke asks why Naruto is insisting on getting in his way. After all, he fell into darkness and tried to cut down everything in his way and cut ties with everyone around him. And yet, Naruto never once thought of cutting ties with him. Sasuke doesn't understand it.
(also, I find that flashback panel a little creepy tbh)
Naruto asks, doesn't Sasuke already know? And he teases Sasuke a little for talking so much just because they can't move. But Sasuke has no patience for this and demands that Naruto give him a proper answer.
Naruto replies that it's because Sasuke is his friend.
But Sasuke still isn't content. He asks what exactly being friends means to Naruto. Naruto says that he doesn't really know how to put it into words. It's just that when he hears Sasuke talking about carrying all the hatred of the world and whatnot on his shoulders, he can feel the pain of it too.
It hurts Naruto to hear Sasuke talk like that, so there's no way he can just ignore it! Then he laughs and says that right then he's so hurt all over that he can't do much. Naruto seems calm and accepting of the situation, but Sasuke looks startled by his words.
He flashes back, remembering when they were kids...he knew Naruto was always alone, just as Sasuke, the last of the Uchiha, was always alone. He saw how Naruto acted out so that people would pay him any attention at all. At first that made Sasuke think he was weak and not worth thinking about.
But Sasuke says that after seeing Naruto get scolded so often, for some reason, he kept his eyes o Naruto. And he realized that the 'weakness' he saw had sunk into him too. When he saw Naruto trying to bond with others, it reminded him of his lost family.
He felt relieved...and yet, he thought it made him weak.
Sasuke trained hard to overcome his weakness, but then they ended up in Team 7 together, and it reminded him of his family again. And as they went on missions together, he could tell that both of them were getting stronger, and realized he wanted to fight with Naruto.
Team 7 started to feel like a family to Sasuke...
...and because of that, when he saw Naruto suffering, he felt the pain too. When he came to understand Naruto's pain, for the first time, he considered Naruto his comrade. And yet, he felt like he couldn't let Naruto get stronger than him, and when he saw how strong Naruto had gotten...
Before Sasuke can criticize himself, Naruto interrupts and says that actually, he also knew Sasuke was alone and he was relieved to see that someone else was in the same situation as him. It made him want to talk to Sasuke right away! But he envied Sasuke's skills, so instead he decided Sasuke would be his rival.
Sasuke became Naruto's goal, and for the first time, Naruto had a bond.
During all their missions together, he was always going after Sasuke because he wanted to become cool and strong, just like Sasuke. However, Sasuke says that no, it's just the opposite, he envied Naruto because Naruto had a kind of strength that Sasuke was missing. He always walked in front of Sasuke...just like his older brother.
Then we cut to a panel of the sunrise. Naruto awakens and asks if they're in heaven now. Sasuke says that no, they've just slept until morning, and somehow are still alive. Naruto is upset that he still can't move, because he wanted to get back to punching Sasuke until Sasuke agreed with him!
Sasuke just laughs at that, asking if Naruto really wants to fight in this condition. Naruto says, of course, he's not going to give up! And so instead, Sasuke says that he admits it, he lost the fight.
Naruto shouts that that's dumb, there's no winners and losers in this fight, he's just trying to beat Sasuke up until Sasuke agrees with him! Their real battle will be after that. Sasuke just smiles and says that he's finally acknowledged Naruto, so if he dies now, the destiny that bound them together will die with him. As long as his left eye is given to Kakashi, the Infinite Tsukuyomi can still be disolved.
Naruto angrily tells him that he should live and help out instead of dying! His dream is for all shinobi, including Sasuke, to work together.
Sasuke asks whether that's really going to be all right with all the other shinobi, but Naruto tells him to stop nitpicking or he'll beat him up. Sasuke smiles again and tells Naruto to shut up, just like the old days. Also it seems they punched each other's hand off. Look guys, it's like the blood stains where their hands used to be are holding hands! Except, you know, not because they literally punched each other's hands off.
And that's how the chapter ends. Only two more left, you guys!
REVIEW
Okay, look. I've seen on chuunin that basically everybody loved this chapter and was super touched and stuff, so I really don't know what to say here, because I found it really meh. The art seemed a bit wonky, their conversation didn't really seem that meaningful, and the ongoing retcon-y flashbacks about how ~*deep and special*~ Naruto and Sasuke's bond was as five-year-olds leaves me cold. Also I can't get over how dumb it is that they literally punched each other's hands off and are clearly bleeding, yet haven't bled to death over the course of an ENTIRE DAY of not having the wounds treated whatsoever.
So yeah, I realize that many (probably most?) fans are really loving this chapter and all the Naruto/Sasuke bonding, but I'm just shrugging here. Part of my ongoing complaint with the ending arc and a lot of other post-timeskip stuff is that in real life, I'm actually a researcher in the child development field, so my ability to suspend disbelief for stories with child characters is not that high and a lot of flashbacks to their thoughts as five-year-olds just haven't worked for me. The bottom line is, I just don't have a lot to say about this chapter! But, perhaps everyone else will have more to say in the comments.
In any case, it seems that Naruto and Sasuke are pals again and Sasuke feels better about life and stuff? Now that Sakura is awake, perhaps she'll arrive just in time to heal them and stop them from bleeding to death. And then, it will be time for the resolution of this entire story! Just two chapters left to wrap up the entire manga. It's been over a decade since the start...now the end is finally here, right at chapter 700. This has been a true long-runner.
Writing reviews and having discussions in this community was a lot of fun and also really interesting; I'll miss it, because even though I think the quality of the manga decreased over time, the discussions here were always good. It's been good times, everyone. Here's hoping the ending is amazing! :)