The fifteenth arc of the series continues with the conclusion of Kakashi’s encounter with Sasuke and the major villages’ preparations for war. While preparations are being made by both sides of the conflict, Naruto embarks on another training session. However, this time, Naruto trains with Killer Bee, the Jinchūriki from Kumogakure. Naruto must confront his inner demons—literally—and bring the Nine Tails under his control. In the midst of his chaotic confrontation with the Nine Tails, Naruto finally meets his mother.
Fourth Shinobi World War: Countdown Arc
This arc consists of volumes 52 to 55, or chapters 484 and 515.
Review
I give this arc 4 out of 5 stars: ⭐⭐⭐⭐
The Writing
The pacing of the story remains the same as it always has; emotional events, such as major fights, move promptly towards more peaceful storylines. I’d say that the arc storylines followed a very basic formula up until now. It seems as though every antagonist that the main characters have faced were just stepping stones to their careers as ninjas. In other words, the stronger the enemies are, the stronger the protagonists become.
I’d say that this is a typical shōnen layout. However, now the story is entering a more politically-driven space where war between allied forces and a single enemy is looming ahead.
I wish that Kishimoto would have replaced the action with more seriously-toned scenes regarding the war preparations. Daimyos were just introduced in the story. I thought that because they were leaders of their respective nations that they would have bigger roles… but they don’t. They’re not influential at all. And now that I’m seeing the wasted opportunity to expand on these political figures, I’m also seeing very little world building. There was more world building in the beginning of the series with the Land of Waves and the Valley of the End, but now there’s hardly anything except for snippets of other major villages and the occasional visit to the Akatsuki hideout.
One thing that caught me off guard this time around is the strange logic behind eye transplants. In this arc, Sasuke replaces his eyes with Itachi’s because his own dōjutsu has begun to blind him. I find this illogical because Itachi was also being blinded by his ocular power. So, how is it possible for a person to implant the eyes of a visually impaired person to “cure” their own visual impairment?
Although I complain about the lack of world building, I do like the snippets of history of Konohagakure that are given this time around. Kushina explains to Naruto the connections between the Senju and Uzumaki clan. She also adds that she was the preceding Jinchūriki for the Nine Tails. Furthermore, she reveals what happened to Konoha the night that the beast was sealed within him. Not only was Naruto born but his parents had sacrificed themselves to save him. Her story makes for another heart wrenching subplot. I also really like that Kushina’s woeful story adds another piece to Tobi’s, or Madara’s involvement in Konoha’s attack fifteen years prior. Kushina seemed to have the Nine Tails under her control with chakra chains but was then put under a genjutsu by Tobi, which prompted the beast to go on a rampage, killing many people, including Iruka’s parents. Kishimoto emphasizes the disrespect that humans have for the tailed beasts through the Nine Tails; they are captured, imprisoned, and used as weapons. It makes Killer Bee’s connection with the Eight Tails much more surprising and the anger of the Nine Tails more understandable.
Fighting hypocrisy with hypocrisy, or rather, Sasuke’s misunderstanding of Itachi’s bitter legacy
One of the most interesting points in the Naruto series is Sasuke’s jarring path to darkness. In his mind, revenge is the right thing to do because it upholds his brother, who sacrificed his reputation and life for Konohagakure. However, Sasuke doesn’t care about the village like he once had. He insists that the village should be destroyed because its political head caused his family and brother pain, and in turn, have caused him pain. Sasuke’s childish response to his brother’s history shows that he is emotionally and mentally stunted because he refuses to look past his anger and sorrow. He’s a child who grew up without proper guidance (we can blame the Third Hokage for more than just the Uchiha massacre) and found that fighting was his best outlet.
Sasuke’s frustrations are understandable; however, Tobi didn’t gloss over Itachi’s intentions; he did tell him that Itachi was preventing a civil war and that the solution was to massacre his clan. Of course, the solution is barbaric, but it’s clear that Itachi did it for “a greater good.” Sasuke, however, doesn’t see it that way.
He believes that everyone is living in ignorance and benefiting from his brother’s sacrifices. Sasuke’s stunted mental and emotional growth is the most riveting part of the series. He’s willing to kill the people he grew up and trained with if it means meeting his goals.
On another note, even though Sasuke was willing to kill his former Team 7, I still think that at this point, he wasn’t acting out of malice. I think that he was cornered. After all, he was protecting himself. But most importantly, Naruto and the rest of the team are challenging his ideals; he knows that being alone isn’t benefiting him, but Sasuke wants to isolate himself to avenge his clan.
His rant to Kakashi and Naruto seemed more like the tantrums of a younger child. I like that Kishimoto didn’t make him angsty in those confrontational scenes.
Martyrdom in the Shinobi World: Naruto Uzumaki vs Itachi Uchiha
This one’s a brief discussion, but I think it’s worth mentioning. I find it interesting how Kishimoto uses the concept of martyrdom in two different ways. Itachi makes himself a common foe; he kills his clan to save the village from a civil war and lives with a broken reputation and an enemy of his home. He was willing to live and die as an enemy. Meanwhile, Naruto expresses a similar cause, though he would sacrifice his life and die with Sasuke if it means carrying his burdens to their graves. Perhaps martyrdom doesn’t necessarily apply to Naruto, but his fight with Sasuke would indirectly save Konohagakure from his destructive path.
Itachi’s sacrifice is a better illustration of the concept because of what he was willing to give up. Naruto’s version of it seems to be out of emotion than logic; Naruto has been painted as a self-righteous figure since the beginning of Part 2 of the series. I neither like nor dislike this characteristic of his.
Parental bonds and guidance
In another heart-felt moment, Naruto finally meets his mother in this arc. Their meeting is unlike Naruto’s and Minato’s, where Naruto seemed to harbor some resentment for the decisions that Minato made regarding his well-being and the Nine Tailed beast. Naruto doesn’t seem to express that resentment with his mother. Instead, he’s overwhelmed with emotions when he sees her. He loses his composure and rushes up to her to hug her and to cry in her shoulder. The last times Naruto is seen this overwhelmed was when he learned of Jiraiya’s death and when he had an anxiety attack due to the village leaders’ decision to pursue Sasuke as a criminal.
One of my favorite things about this series is that Kishimoto touches on the importance that parents have. Every parental figure that Naruto has had in his life have worked as guides. Iruka, for instance, is like a father to him: Iruka scolds him, but he also advises him about things that others wouldn’t bother to speak to him about. Naruto eventually finds that guidance in Kakashi, and although he’s mostly a teacher to Naruto, Kakashi cares a lot about him. Jiraiya, who was later revealed to be his godfather, spent a lot of time with Naruto. Although he was mostly immature, it seemed as though Naruto sought a paternal connection with him, one that Jiraiya welcomed.
At this point of the manga, Naruto has met his father and finally his mother. The connection he feels towards them is unlike the kind he has for the three aforementioned characters. Each parent has given him advice on important matters. While Minato discussed the universal problem—the cycle of hatred—with Naruto, Kushina encouraged Naruto and helped him feel more at peace to defeat the Nine Tails.
Finding a purpose and peace with others’ decisions
In this arc, Naruto accepts the burdens he must carry. I previously mentioned that he seems to be a kind of martyr due to his willingness to sacrifice himself for Sasuke and for everyone else. In the final moments of his meeting with Kushina, Naruto reveals that he’s okay with the decisions that his parents made to seal the beast within him. It was to save Konoha. And later in the story, he will have to bear the responsibility of saving Konoha again, along with a larger mass of people, though in different circumstances. Naruto seems to understand the burdens that others carry for him, too, as he doesn’t resent his parents for choosing to die to save more people. I think that this volume perfectly summarizes Naruto’s growth as a character; he’s emotionally mature and intelligent despite his impulsiveness.
On a relating note, Naruto’s fight with a “dark” version of himself also reflects a lot about Naruto’s growth as a character. “Dark” Naruto is the embodiment of Naruto’s resentment; “he” mirrors what Sasuke became and what Neji and Gaara overcame. I like that Kishimoto gave us a different view of Naruto’s development, one that emphasizes the hardships that he had to overcome (the neglect and resentment of others). It was obvious during his fight with Sasuke, but Naruto’s fight with himself seems to emphasize his values and determination to become someone who can break the cycle of hatred. If he can overcome that part of himself, then he can surely help others overcome similar things.
Honor in Naruto
In previous posts, I discussed duty as a theme in the series, though mostly through my understanding of “the ideal shinobi.” This time around, I thought that it was interesting how honor plays a large part in the series. I’m surprised that I noticed it this late into the story. Honor isn’t a new concept; the more trustworthy characters honor their promises to each other, including their foes; and as a practice, shinobi honor their dead comrades with funeral rites and memorials. In this arc, Might Guy fights against Kisame and prompts him to kill himself to preserve critical information about the Akatsuki and their war plans. Guy decides to honor Kisame by swearing that he’ll remember his name. This is Guy’s way of acknowledging a formidable combatant despite their opposing views.
Konan sacrificing herself for Naruto’s cause is another way that Kishimoto implements this theme. Although her death is seemingly for naught, her fight against Tobi demonstrates that she honors Yahiko and Nagato and their dreams for a better world.
Kabuto as a cheap copy of Orochimaru
Something I’m curious about is Kabuto’s transformation. He had previously injected himself with Orochimaru’s cells and has become somewhat stronger than he used to be. But his appearance has also changed into something more lizard-like, or snake-like. His skin has patches of scales, and he seems to always have a snake nearby. His transformation isn’t a surprise. Kishimoto has hinted that Kabuto has some inferiority complex with Orochimaru; Kabuto’s wary of him and masks his fear with his interest in Orochimaru’s inhumane research. It’s apparent that Kabuto seeks power, and like Sasuke, he has taken an easy route to achieve it.
However, Sasuke has been able to hone his own power under Orochimaru’s guidance. The curse mark that Sasuke uses is more like a power boost that he uses as a last resort. It’s almost unnecessary now that he has his Mengekyō and had his eyes replaced with Itachi’s eyes .
On the other hand, Kabuto has adopted Orochimaru’s personality and awkward appearance. He also uses Orochimaru’s research for his own gain and has even taken an interest in taking Sasuke and researching him. Kabuto has also adopted Orochimaru’s jutsu. He’s becoming consumed by his old master without realizing that he’s losing himself. His character arc is an excellent contradiction to Naruto, who has achieved power with his own strength. Even other characters in the series haven’t been shown emulating their masters or someone they look up to. It’s as if Kabuto believes that embodying Orochimaru will give him power. And it’s clear that this kind of approach goes against one of the manga’s central themes: to work hard to achieve your goals.
Now that I finally reached the final arcs of the manga series, I’ll be narrowing my focus on my reviews. You might have noticed that I’ve excluded a detailed synopsis and instead opted for a shorter summary. I’m working on shortening my posts for less reading time and convenience. Writing on this blog is still a learning process for me and I’m trying to figure out how to voice my opinions in writing without resorting to writing lengthy posts.
On another note, I love Kishimoto’s manga series. I know that I always have something to criticize the story for, but it’s a good story despite its flaws. The series continues with the sixteenth arc, The Fourth Shinobi World War: Confrontation arc, which spans through volumes 55 to 59, or chapters 516 to 559. This arc depicts the beginning of the great war between the villages and the Akatsuki. I don’t remember much about what happens in this arc except for Kabuto’s diabolical schemes with Kuchiyose: Edo Tensei, or Summoning: Worldly Resurrection.
Until my next post,
Cassandra D. 🌙
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