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If there’s one thing I love about Kishimoto Masashi, it’s how he’s able to create a story where you know what’s going to happen, yet you’ll still enjoy it. For instance, we knew that having the two Uchihas together would result in an awesome battle. We knew Kabuto had some tricks up his sleeve. Heck, I even wrote about the the latter in my previous post. Yet, I still found myself awed by what happened this chapter. I mean, it was definitely a given that both Itachi and Sasuke would pull out Susanoo at some point or another, but to actually see it happen, and to have them both summoned at the same time… I can’t even begin to describe how epic the scene was. And to top it off, it was a two page spread too! What’s more, this wasn’t even the biggest development of this chapter!
Rather, that honor goes to Kabuto this time around, as his new found ability to use Sage Mode definitely takes the cake. And gosh darn, was that a surprise. I mean, we saw that Juugo had the ability to interact with animals way back in Chapter 365, but I never would’ve thought that it’d lead up to this. But hey, leave it up to Kishimoto to build up on something he set up over 200 chapters ago! Still, I reckon the two Uchihas’ will ultimately win, but at this point, the more question is: Will they be able to take Kabuto alive to reverse the Edo Tensei? Was Sage Mode the only trick Kabuto had up his sleeve? I mean, the Sage Mode reveal was quite the surprise, but I reckon it’s a safe bet that we haven’t seen everything yet. Heck, I wouldn’t put it past Kabuto to have already have a plan in place to ensure he can’t be captured, or at least captured alive.
Regardless though, with three major battles occurring at the same time, everything’s building up toward the war’s ultimate conclusion. I reckon it’ll take quite a few chapters for the current battles to sort themselves out, but considering the amazing developments the past few dozen chapters, I’m just happy to be along for the ride.
I bet Itachi will skewer Kabuto with Kusanagi like he did to Orochimaru.
kabuto is immortal…………..they just haven’t said it yet.
Kabuto: Obtains sage mode, can handle 2 uchihas at once, better than Orochimaru, still needs glasses.
take away his glasses, cut off his vision by half 🙂
Reminds me of Gintama. Take away Shinpachi’s glasses and all you have is just some nobody.
Shinpachi’s glasses are actually for sale in Japan for 5,400 yen each.
No you’re wrong! The glasses IS Shinpachi. It’s just wearing a human so it can aid in movement. Shinpachi has a movement disability.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OaRdcVYTjRw#t=0m07s
*Ahem* no one’s better than Orochimaru. Kabuto’s bragging doesn’t make sense. I mean, wasn’t Kimimaro already a dragon? He even needed the curse seal to get there.
Kimimaro? A dragon? Where was this stated?
Do you remember Kimimaro’s curse seal form? He was a dragon.
You mean this?
http://images.wikia.com/naruto/images/8/8c/KimimaroCS2.jpg
I see no dragon.
Doesn’t mean he literally was.
From what it seems, the Curse Seal Level 2 appearances probably reflect the user’s inner self somehow. In Kimimaro’s case, his Kekkei Genkai and such with hardening his bones the way he can makes it seem a lot like how a dragon’s scales are supposed to be as just as hard, if not harder than diamonds.
Look at Sasuke. Take out the wings and his general silhouette GREATLY resembles Madara. And their personalities match up quite well (power is everything), and Kurama/Kyuubi compares his chakra to being just as, or more sinister than Madara’s.
Dude you’re missing the point, the curse seal was an imitation of Jugo’s abilities that could be inserted into any person, it’s is never stated that Jugo had sage mode he just went berserk from being aware of natural energy as part of his clan’s jutsu. I mean Jugo got his ass handed to him by the 4th Raikage whereas Naruto defeated the Third using Sage Mode.
Let me add.
Kabuto only said he was a dragon because Sasuke was mocking him, he meant that he became a true Sage after obtaining senjutsu something that Orochimaru could never do.
😛 Norioku, I think you’re the one missing the point. No one said anything about Juugo/Sage Mode…
@Gent-machu:
Well, fact is Kabuto is holding his ground against two fully-matured, Sharingan-spamming, Susanoo-wielding ‘genius’ Uchihas whereas Orochimaru couldn’t handle Itachi solo, and was killed by Kid Emo. Conventional logic dictates that, in that respect, Kabuto’s actually stronger than Orochimaru.
Just like everything revolving the Uchihas, you can ask the wind coming out of Kishi’s ass how that ever happened.
He has Sharingan-reflecting lenses
Kabuto: Im a Dragon now! Fear me!
Sasuke: Uhmm.. no sir -_-
Kabuto: Awww.. I thought growing horns will make me looks like a Dragon T_T
Itachi: Dont be too hard on him Dr.Snake..
is it safe to think that tsunade somehow got an incomplete slug sage mode too?
I can imagine sasuke singing this right now “protestant christianity race superiority absolute destiny apocalypse absolute destiny apocalypse my own birth absolute birth apocalypse.”
it’s a magic incantation for nuclear armageddon
You can imagine him singing that because he’s psychotic, and he’s on a power trip, right? Also, because he’s so unintelligent.
Sasuke’s unintelligent? I wasn’t aware.
There are many things I’m not aware of.
All red-hair are uzumaki or somehow got uzumaki blood? How about sasori?
uzumaki clan’s specialties: powerful sealing technique, healing, life force, huge chakra pool and awesome red hair.
I think what he meant is that the Uzumaki are known for their red hair, not necessarily that are red heads are part of the Uzumaki clan.
Then what was one doing in the Grass Village?
Considering the Uzumaki Clan was said to have been destroyed IIRC, then I can only assume that what few survivors there were simply scattered all throughout the land.
On a somewhat unrelated note, could one of the writers tell me if its possible for them to cover the new sequel Avatar: The legend of Korra. Random Curiosity has never been exclusively anime so I thought it would be good addition to the season.
Watched the leaked episode…Man, that thing shows promise…
They’ve never been exclusively Anime, but they have been exclusively Japanese productions (Anime, Manga, J-Dramas, Light Novels, Video Games), of which Avatar is not.
Nonetheless, it would be cool to see it blogged here. The episode was pure gold.
^Uh…did I say something wrong?
Some people hate Harry Potter other will hate Avatar. It’s just the nature of things.
@All the Legend of Korra talk:
I’m not adverse to this being blogged, but I’d rather the authors of RC blog about stuff they chose to watch rather than what others tell them to.
What I’ve enjoyed so far with this site is that, with the multitude of authors, a lot of shows are covered based on personal taste and impressions are written so I can judge whether or not a series is worth watching.
Take Bakemonogatari for example; I actually dropped the first episode when it initially aired because it felt so random. Then when I read Omni’s post, I realized that perhaps I judged it too quickly and started following it, ending with me absolutely loving Nisioisin’s work.
Now on to LoK; Divine just went on indefinite sabbatical from blogging
(I deny him leaving!)and a bunch of writers stepped up to bat for him. Would blogging LoK mean another slew of writer/s needing to come on stage? And, does blogging cartoons stop there?There are a bunch of other cartoons airing (like Young Justice) or will begin airing (Ultimate Spider-Man) that show a lot of promise, and let’s face it; another of RC’s good points is that the authors do their research on the series- either the casting, production studios involved, directors, music composers, and the material itself (Verdant’s Xun Zi dissection and identification of the Eye of Horus come to mind, but also Enzo and Unlisted’s attention for detail).
That’s some serious dedication right there, which is another factor I find that differentiates this site from most other blogs out there, because these guys and gals do have lives to live.
tl;dr Authors, do it only if you want. Oh, and this is why Beedle has to keep pedaling this shop; he’s got quite a mouth when on break~
So is Gaara an Uzumaki now too? Karin’s apparently one, and she came from the Grass Village.
Sasuke’s wacky motivations for doing…anything anymore really leave me facepalming, but not so much as Kabuto saying that pretty much every character with red hair is part of Naruto’s clan.
Yeah, at first I was like ‘That’s neat!’ But then it clicked later on, and I said ‘Wait, what about Gaara, Sasori and the rest of the entire red-haired cast…’
Maybe all Uzumakis are red-haired, but not every red-haired person is an Uzumaki?
..Still, this was yet another awesome chapter…The two-page color spread definetly made up for last week’s chibi war!
I love it when the author expands on Naruto’s universe, and gives some much needed character background to ones that desperately need it.
Karin’s info was by far the most interesting (I can already see those NarutoxKarin shippers). Seriously though, it would be nice to have Naruto speak with a fellow Uzumaki that is alive before this manga ends. Not necessarily a love interest, but see him have a nice, calm chat about their clan’s unfortunate fate.
Also Kabuto. His sage mode was, like you said Zephyr, the real cake of this chapter. Some say it looks ridiculous, I find it much more cool-looking than Naruto’s Sage Mode (I’m always reminded of Japanese Geishas whenever I look at him like that…and I don’t like it). It’s also nice to see Naruto’s powers aren’t one of a kind in the whole universe (another fact I found too convenient for those toads). Sage Mode is a real refresh amidst all these ocular and Tailed Beast powers. Which reminds me…
-I’d like to see Sasuke use some Chidoris more often…Or even his friggin’ sword! I know it may not be too effective on its own when fighting against such powerful enemies, but I’m sure Kishi/Sasuke could give it some use…Getting tired of all these Mangekyou Sharingans everywhere, dammit!
-Nice to see Kabuto is serving as training for Sasuke…Getting him familiarized with these Sage mode techniques for when Sasuke eventually confronts a certain someone who also has these powers…
-I can see this whole Sage mode getting way off rails:
Tsuanade-slug SANNIN MO-DOH!!
Kakashi-dog SANNIN MO-DOH!!
Gai-turtle SANNIN MO-DOH!!
(was Kisame in some kind of SANNIN MO-DOH!! too XD?!)
Sennin=Sage
Sannin=Jiraiya+Tsunade+Orochimaru
Thanks for clearing that up 😛
You have to remember the world of Naruto is clans. They didn’t have genetic distributions like we do today, and that’s what Kabuto was talking about.
You know how Japan was isolated for almost all of its existence? That’s why even today they say people with light-colored hair are foreign-looking.
All X are Y doesn’t necessarily mean All Y are X.
@Raine, the Naruto character you are most like is Rock Lee.
Biggest shock for me was Karin being an Uzumaki, tbh. And the cover page of sleeping Kurama was adorable <3
Even though they’re “fighting as one” Itachi hasn’t done anything yet. Sasuke rushed in like the idiot he is…
Nice to see he still has his ninja info cards.
It was pretty nice seeing the two Susanoos (Susani?). And unless Kabuto grows wings while spitting out fire, I refuse to accept his “I’m a dragon” statement.
Karin being an Uzamaki was also what surprised me the most.
And I have to say this: All Uzumaki have red hair does not equal all people with red hair are Uzumaki.
well, of course. naruto is uzumaki, yet he has blonde hair.
Isn’t Naruto technically a Namikaze?
He didn’t really mean to say he’s a “dragon” he’s just boasting and saying how he’s a very very strong snake. Dragons in Chinese and Japanese culture don’t have wings. They basically look like snakes except they have limbs.
The next time someone refers to Sasuke as a “doctor,” I’m going to kill a kitten.
XD That Dr. Snakes comment Itachi said was just horrible.
I can but it if Itachi is suddenly making more jokes now that he’s dead than when he did in the entire manga when he was alive…But doctor? Ninjas cracking jokes about a Doctor Snakes?!
Never again Kishi, please.
I’m not sure if Doctor is the best transliteration here, assuming “sensei” is the word being used. I think Professor Snake or Snake guru would make more sense.
Professor Snape?
*gasp* Which means that Kabuto must be Voldemort! It all makes sense now!
U SO FUNNEH DR.SNAKES!
An issue I always had with Kishi’s black and white coloring:
If you color a guy’s hair pitch-black and expect us to believe it’s red…Then Why Oh God will you go and color another ginger’s hair with a light grey if it’s the same color?
The panel that had Karin, Kushina and Nagato standing by each other brought all those horrible frustrations…
Different shades of red? ;p
I SO called Karin ending up being an Uzumaki quite a while ago…with how things have been turning out, it’s simply been becoming pretty predictable like that, lol.
I myself have been saying after seeing this chapter that Tsunade will probably end up beating out Madara’s whole Wood Clone tactic with some Slug Sage Mode thing, lol.
It’s also nice to get some bit of insight on Jugo and Suigetsu’s abilities too.
What vol # is this
All that we’re missing now is for Kabuto to transform into an actual dragon.
A dragon wearing prescription glasses.
This might be because I don’t read as attentively anymore but I thought the only thing the Crow did was imbue Itachi with the “Protect Konoha!” program. So Itachi’s free to do what he wants, but I see nothing stopping Kabuto from unplugging him. Edo Tensei is the only thing keeping him on this plane of existence.
So why hasn’t he been de-summoned yet?
That wouldn’t be fun now, would it? 🙂
One could argue though, saying Kabuto pehaps cannot de-summon individuals: if you do so, then all of the resurrected people would be dead again, too. All for one, one for all.
I think because by doing so would reveal how to undue it
Why does Anko keep showing on at the background but no attention is paid to whether she’s alive as a hostage or dead?
I agree that two Susannos are better than one.
Kabuto in Sage mode was spoiled when I saw the huge white snake like the giant toad sage, but I still didn’t expect Kabuto to master it to the point where he transformed into a dragon-type ninja.
Let the good chapters keep rolling on.
fishnet shirt fan service
Wow, awesome chapter. The art was really good as well, especially on Kabuto’s side.
Even if Itachi and Sasuke manage to stop/kill Kabuto. His genes will still be passed on, since more than likely he has already impregnated Anko. Just look at the way she is splayed out. So raep in Naruto with Anko, now Bleach with chained Hilabel, what is next One piece with Nami?
I wouldn’t be surprised if ‘Anko’ turned out to be either possessed by Kabuto or is a Henge’d Kabuto.
And, Halibel was what? o_0 Wasn’t she cut in half with no Orihime to heal her? Next thing you know, even Barragan and Stark (though I’m actually hoping for Stark) will return.
Is seems Harribel was confirmed alive a while ago in the whatitsnamebleachbook, while Barragan and Stark are confirmed dead, like pretty much every other Espadas. Why the glasses Kabuto, super regeneration doesn’t work on eyes? Of all people Itachi should be the one with the worst eyesight.
haruuummmmm….do I pick up Bleach again only to be met with facepalming moments just to see Halibel, or do I not…>_>;;?
I liked Halibel…until I realized Kubo didn’t really dwell much on her character and she was pretty much a blank slate with a wineglass body. Even that one chapter dedicated to her past didn’t really do much for me; I found her reason for going through with Aizen’s plan incredibly stupid for, well, the Halibel my mind conjured based on how she was portrayed up until that point. Then Aizen ‘kills’ her, and we hear nothing about her (or any of the other Espadas) in the manga until now.
Kubo will have to explain that, I’m sure. He has no choice but to. However, every time I attempted to pick Bleach up again, I kept raging about nothing ever happening in each chapter; it’s always filled with wordless/one-liner standoffs page-after-page instead of diving into the meat of things.
But damn, it’s Halibel…. >__< and beyond Orihime and to a small extent Rukia, Kubo has been treating his female characters better than Kishi…
Please don’t flame me.
This is going to be completely off topic, but it would be awesome if somebody on RC picked up The Legend of Korra. I know it’s not a traditional anime series, but I grew up with this show alongside other great animes such as Pokemon/Digimon/Dragonball Z.
I’ve been lurking RC since 2008. This is my first post.
Thank you.
But Legend of Korra isn`t japananimation, but I agree with you, RandomC should cover it!
I believe there are other blog sites that are willing to cover it, besides the blog alone caters to Japanese-oriented media, and is tied-in with other anime blogs. It will just seem out of place and may cause some readers to rage (the wtf have you done with rc type).
Kabuto dodged Sasuke’s arrow.
Kabuto doesn’t like Sasuke.
Sorry Sasuke! At least you still have Naruto.
I was so disappointed it didn’t show Kabuto’s toes. What’s with that? Naruto got in the way.
I was confused about why Kabuto went Sage Mode. He didn’t do anything else yet, I mean… Maybe Kishi is rushing it a little? Oh, well. It was still a nice chapter.
And I was like ‘DAFUQ I just read?’
Yep yep.
Wait, why did Sasuke fight Kabuto? ehhhhh, he has nothing against him.
Holy hell, this is awesome!
I always wanted to see the two Susanos come out at the same time, though I was hoping they’d get to fight each other. Nevertheless, this is probably the coolest development since Naruto’s Nine-Tails chakra form, the Kage battle and, well, just about anything that’s happened these past ten chapters.
Interesting connection between Karin and the Uzumaki clan. I appreciated the flashbacks to all the Taka members. Is that some guilt, Sasuke?
Kabuto entering Sage Mode (or wasn’t it bastardized Sage Mode?) wasn’t all that unexpected. The toads couldn’t have been the only ones with Sage Mode, especially since the Snakes were supposed to be the toad’s rivals. What I didn’t expect was that Orochimaru’s summons turned out to be lesser dragons, unless that was just Kabuto swinging his dick around.
Karin being an Uzumaki wasn’t also unexpected; ever since Tobi gauged out Nagato’s eyes and let slip that ‘Uzumaki’s are characterized by their red hair’, who didn’t think of the possibility that Karin was, also? Admittedly it’s a rather cheap plot device given how many redheads there are…
Heck, ever since that reveal, there have been numerous fanfics about Karin and Mei being descendants of/are Uzumakis. I’m now left wondering if maybe even Tayuya was an Uzumaki :/
One thing to note though is it seems Naruto fails as an Uzumaki, too. He doesn’t have red hair, doesn’t have ZOMG chakra reserves since his reserves come from Kyubi, and he doesn’t have healing chakra like Karin since, again, that regeneration came from Kyubi.
Also, was that ‘Dr. Snakes’ joke really in the manga? I actually thought it was the scanlators trolling…horrible joke is horrible.
And yeah, this chapter does feel like a convenient training montage for Sasuke to get used to his new eyes and learn Sage Mode’s tricks so he can combat a certain knuckleheaded ninja.
This is getting frustrating to be honest. This little punk Kabuto surpasses Orochimaru, one of the 3 legendary sannin because he found a nice place to train? And exactly how much of Kabuto is actually Orochimaru anyways? 😐
Legendary Sannin is just a title. It means they fought Hanzo… no more, no less.
The whole Kabuto thing is silly. They just need to finish this fight and move on as though he never existed.
Kishimoto setting up? Really? His story telling has always been more on-the-go.
I was always wondering about sage mode for other animals. I didn’t believe that the frogs would be the only ones capable and I’m glad. When I saw Jiraiya do sage mode I was wondering if snakes can do it as well and if orochimaru was able to do it.
I don’t believe kishimoto thought of all this back then, It all seems to be falling into place. I mean karin being an uzumaki? I don’t think he planned that way back.
So….Kabuto-snake is evolving!
…..Congratulations, Kabuto-snake has evolved into Kabuto-dragon~!
kabuto is dragon, kabuto is god
the dragon wears the crown, an unacknowledged god
Huge white snake->reference to the chinese legend of the white snake or ‘Madam White Snake’?
The manga gets better and better 😀
Kabuto is actually Aizen
Damn right, Dr.Snakes!
So if Kabuto is a dragon that brings back people to life. Does that make him what I think that makes him?
Touche. Outstanding arguments. Keep up the good spirit.