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For the most part, things go as expected this episode. We have Itachi escaping Kabuto’s fatal blow via his crow clone technique and we also have the reveal of the Izanami technique we’ve all been waiting for. But alas, with the reveal comes a load of questions as well.
But first, here’s what I managed to get from this chapter. First, Izanami does not require direct eye contact for it to work. Rather, it seems that only touch and proper time allotment for preparation of the technique are needed. Second, Izanami seems to be a genjutsu that works similarly to the Tsukuyomi technique. Both are genjutsu and both rely on “endless loops” of some kind. And here’s where the questions start coming in.
First, is Izanami is truly endless? Or is it “endless” per the Tsukuyomi definition, where the loops seem endless due to the manipulation of time perception? Also, what exactly is meant by Itachi saying “I hold your destiny in my hands, but you decide it”? How does it work exactly? Does this mean that the more Kabuto resists, the more effect this technique will have on him? Does it mean the technique works on the target’s mental insecurities and causes some kind of psychological effect that leads to their death? And does it make it so that there’s nothing that Kabuto can do to break the technique and/or harm Itachi? Also, I’m kind of wondering what makes this technique forbidden as well. Is it because it would normally cause complete blindness in the eye? Or is it too powerful of a technique?
I know some answers are potentially hinted at this chapter, but it just seems like there’s a lot still up in the air regarding how the technique works. I’m satisfied with the chapter due to the fact that the Izanami technique was finally revealed, but I’m hoping that the next or future chapters will elaborate a bit more on the technique. Though, I suppose that worry’s a bit overblown, as the manga’s done a pretty decent job explaining the basis behind each technique up until this point and there’s no reason to suspect it won’t do so this time. Regardless, that’s about it for this chapter. I can’t say much happened worth discussing other than Izanami and most of the discussion is just questions regarding how it works, as it just seems like a more powerful Tsukuyomi at this point. I tried doing some research into the story behind Izanami to see if it would shed more light on the matter, but I wasn’t able to find anything in the myths she’s been depicted in.
On another note, if Izanami does take advantage of the target’s insecurities, I could see Kishimoto linking this to Kabuto’s back story from the past few chapters. In fact it’s been hinted at this chapter already… and I’m starting to get this nagging feeling that everything will come full circle and explain why the segment about Kabuto’s past was suddenly put in. And from there, I’m probably going to need to write up a whole apology letter for slamming the awkwardness of the insert the last few chapters. Guess we’ll see. 😀
So how is it different really from Tsukuyomi?
I can’t really figure out the gist of the technique.
Or maybe I’m just dumb 😛In any case, a powerful technique has to have powerful drawbacks but so far Itachi hasn’t shown one. Oh well in the end they’ve immobilized/taken down Kabuto for now. That’s about it for the chapter I guess.
Are you serious? Tsukoyomi’s been explained lots. It’s an instantaneous genjutsu that manipulates the victim’s sense of time. Izanami is a static genjutsu that does not manipulate time, but the user’s perception of reality. Ergo, Kabuto is now a vegetable.
Tsukuyomi requires eye contact to activate. From what we’ve seen, that isn’t the case with Izanami since Kabuto has been keeping his eyes covered this entire fight.
I think the drawback is that the user loses sight of the eye that uses Izanami. We see one of Itachi’s eyes go blank. This must be the point when Izanami became active.
It’s similar to Danzou’s Izanagi how after use, the eye will become blind.
In Shintoism mytholgy, I think Izanami is the sister of the god Izanagi. Amaterasu, Tsukiyomi and Susanoo are the children of Izanami and Izanagi.
Well, actually, it’s slightly different. The imperfect Izanagi actually seems to outright sacrifice the ENTIRE eye as a whole in order to use it, hence the eye completely closes rather than simply going “blank” to signify mere blindness, and requires a total transplant like we see with Tobi (purposely keeping his left eye covered, thus always “in darkness”, so using Izanagi wouldn’t matter).
“I hold your destiny in my hands, but you decide it”
I’m not sure, but it may be related to something like how in Tsukiyomi, the caster is the one that determines what the victim perceives throughout the duration of the illusion. Izanami perhaps is the other way around. Kabuto desired at that moment to slice up Itachi and kill him and Sasuke, so that’s what keeps looping, him trying to kill Itachi, Itachi blocks and counters, etc etc etc.
I also think it’s forbidden because if you look at the moment of activation and on the final page, Itachi’s left eye is all muddy. There is no visible sharingan. So it seemes similar to how Izanagi would seal an eye every time, too.
I agree with you to a point, yes Itachi has control, but the endless loop of exchanging of attacks isn’t Kabuto’s desired moment. He hates “genius” types like Itachi and now he’s stuck on repeat in a sequence where he doesn’t have the upperhand.
If that’s the case, I don’t know the purpose of using Izanami if it’ll only humiliate Kabuto– which will make him even less cooperative to turning off his Impure World Reincarnations.
If Izanami is a separate and infinitely looping dimension, maybe Itachi will have a decade of time to talk to Kabuto while only 10 seconds pass in reality. I dunno…
I suppose the “but you decide it” bit is the hardest selling point– I don’t see how Kabuto can be convinced (which I suppose those flashbacks were there to show how determined he is).
Reminds me of this:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MUsQiLW5aF8
Sharingan is the greatest Deus EX Machina ever.
Ha! Endless Eight no Jutsu, I love it.
Haruhi approves.
kabuto and i make the same face while experiencing that hellish endless eight
WORST TORTURE EVER!
Kabuto should have some balls. I bet Nagato can withstand that.
Kids, this is what happens when you divide by zero. You enter a recursion. So don’t be a fool, don’t do it.
I unlock my greatest jutsu! Ground Hog’s Day!
classic!
I don’t get it.
In the Bill Murray film he gets stuck living the same day endlessly over and over again every time he goes to sleep.
Kabuto just needs to build himself a snowman and seduce Andie Mcdowell and he can bust right out of this one.!
Probably Izanami has no shown weakness so far because eventually Sasuke will learn to use it and try it on a stronger enemy (possibly Naruto) who will come out with a countermeasure.
Not even a countermeasure. He’ll just break out of it. Remember vs. Neji and his whole denial of “fate” and “destiny”? You know that if Izanami is used on Naruto, he’ll just use his usual stubbornness and deny everything and get out of it through “guts, heart, and willpower” and all that stuff, somehow altering the loop so he comes out on top anyway rather than just looping endlessly.
Itachi is a monster. I’m still upset that they killed him off…
Actually, if you look closely, itachi lost one of his sharingan in his left eye
Mmm. I noticed that… but I was thinking it might also be a temporary change in the Sharingan that shows Izanami is in effect, that he’s literally seeing Kabuto’s destiny ya know? But it is something to pay attention to. 😀
I hate the Uchiha clan, I really hate the fucking sharingan, its amazing how this doujutsu can be the perfect example of “Deux ex Maquina”.
The Uchiha are really invincible? Neither Madara or Itachi are losing by far, one fighting with the master of snake sage technique, and the other fighting 5 kages….
And obviously Sasuke will get the Izanami, Izagani and I bet all my money that Sasuke will get the Rinnegan.
Kishimoto just love the Uchiha soooo much. Naruto can’t win against the Uchiha, power raw is futile versus the Uchiha, “mas vale maña que fuerza”, Naruto is sooo fucked!!!
If only Naruto could be a mix between Minato and Kushina….. ah! Wonderful, really wonderful, the last god of flash kicking asses with the fuinjutsu of the Uzumaki clan!!!!
Deus ex Sharingan is nothing new.
Sure, it’d be nice if Naruto gets to do that, but like Kishi will ever let that happen; Naruto’s been spamming the same old Kage Bunshin/Rasengan after all. Oh sure, he’s got nifty applications for it but fact is, he’s still using the same techniques.
about izanami being forbidden technique –
Show Spoiler ▼
Sadly, blindness has lost its appeal with all the eye transplants flying about…
In fact, Uchihas even get a nifty power-up during transplants. Way to go Kishi!
Danzo was the best example
that was so stupid. Itachi was going blind before he died and sasuke had those eyes transplanted in him.
Itachi was mentioning how one who forgives himself and accepts it are the strong ones.
Since Kabuto is still deadset on denying his philosophy and his past, maybe the only way to break Izanami is to just accept himself for who he is, instead ofkeep believing he’s the strongest blah blah.
I wonder how the Uchihas invented their forbidden techniques. I mean… if the first guy that used them suffered the effects, how did he teach it to the others? He would be like
Blind Uchiha: “hey guys, I created this super technique… except now I’m blind, wanna learn it?”
Seriously… the Sharingan is… meh. Deus Ex Machina indeed.
Hey, good early post is early…Keep it up Zeph!
So yeah, if Izanami works with the target’s mental insecurities, I can foresee Sasuke using it against Naruto and failing. Naruto also wiped out from his being any ‘dark side’ too during his training for Kyuubi powers, so…Right now, he’s our classic, determined and golden-hearted shounen hero <3
Yeah, that seems quite likely to happen indeed. 😀
That’s funny! spin-off starring zombie itachi?
Sorry replied at the wrong comment!
kore-wa-itachi-zombie-desu ? Gwaaarr… eyes… om nom nom nom nom…
This why Kabuto should have desummoned Itachi while he had the chance. Or even use Itachi like he did Kimimaro/etc, so he could jerk out his own Izanagi whenever he wanted. But no, those would be the smart things to do.
Lol this is some of the lamest, most unfulfilling, and overpowered shit I’ve seen in my life. Want a shortcut to terrible action? Chuck illusions into it.
u mad?
It’s already been assumed that Kabuto can’t ‘desummon’ a single zombie. It’s everyone or no one.
“Overpowered shit…” I won’t explain in detail why I think this statement is wrong, but I will say that, in my opinion, Naruto has done a damn good job in slowly introducing us to stronger moves and characters. It’s not like these guys appeared out of no-where with random powers.
…Also, was I the only one who thought Kabuto using Kimimaro and the Sound Four in battle was awesome? Nostalgia + cool moves right there, yo. You can’t go wrong with that! Plus, it also shows you how these guys’ abilities from 300+ (!!!) chapters ago are still dangerous or even lethal (‘Overpowered shit’? I don’t think so).
I got a Uchiha joke for you since you seem to like them.
Two Uchihas walk into a bar…
Just kidding! It was an illusion!
Pfft I’m not mad. I barely had any hope for this mini Kabuto arc thing to begin with. If anything, I’m glad it went from flat out boring to ridiculous. This is probably irony on Kabuto’s part for subjecting us to a seemingly never ending and contrived sob story.
Assumed? As in the thought never occurred to Kishimoto and fan interpretation has assumed its place instead? Where’s the validity in that? And even if it were true, desummoning everyone seems a whole lot better than living out Groundhog Day for who knows how long. Not only that, but it would have been awesome just for the sheer pain and anger it would inflicted on that Sasuke.
What’s even the point of seeing cool moves to learn they never even happened? Or the moves end up being so ridiculously futile anyway. I mean really, did that cliffhanger last week fool anyone? How is it not overpowered? I posted this a while ago.
“With Izanami this makes, what, the third “ultimate” power of the Sharingan? When it was just Tsukuyomi and Amaterasu it was fine since, as the legend, Amaterasu was born from Izanagi’s left eye and Tsukuyomi from the right. That worked and was actually pretty clever. But then Kishi went too far and named a technique named after Susanoo (who was born from the nose) and was not eye-related in any way. Then we got a technique named after Izanagi himself and now we have one named after his wife.
There really is no limit on these Sharingan powers and they just come off as complete cop-outs. What Kishi is doing is just a really cheap of way of making characters with a Sharingan look badass by unlocking the “next level” of Sharingan, which for all intents and purposes, can last as long as Kishi needs it to.”
Illusions are straight up fun killing combo breakers. This is how they should separate Jump series.
“All those that keep it real (OP, HxH, Toriko) head on over to your left!”
“The needlessly cryptic… (Bleach, Naruto, Reborn) to the right!” (Though I’m more likely to throw Naruto a bone than the other two.)
If you like the chapters that’s great, but don’t try to step on me brah!
Haha, awesome comment! Do know that you made me laugh out loud with the Uchia joke…
I’m not too fond of how you grouped the shounen series, but that’s personal taste (
inferior taste). And as regards to the Sharingan being overpowered…Damn yes it is! But hey, I’ll share with you my view on it: given that Sharingan evolves to Rinnegan, it’s only natural for it to develop more and more overpowered techniques, since we all agree Rinnegan is the biggest hax in this series.Other than that, yes, I also beg this Kabuto fight to end already D: As cool as it may somewhat be, there are a hundred more interesting things to see outside this cave right now.
I think the reason why the Sharingan is seen as so much more hax is simply because we’re shown A LOT more of its abilities than we have with the Rinnegan.
The most we got was, besides stuff simply talked about, was Nagato’s usage of it with the Six Paths (which as we also saw, were far was invincible nor overpowered really) and a bit with Madara like the 2 Meteor attacks and, evidently, still able to use Susano’o and whatnot, which we KNOW is far from its full power given all we’re told about the Rikudo Sennin so far, but we’re never shown a whole lot, which while it may keep it more mysterious and make us curious about it, it also makes it FEEL less powerful until we’re actually SHOWN that it’s hax, you know?
It’s one thing to simply SAY the Rinnegan is the most powerful doujutsu. It’s another to actually see that power in action and erase any and all doubts.
You didn’t seem to mind my comment on Bleach for chapter 491!
And inferior taste!? Are you sure we’re reading the same things lol? C’mon son, just look at the latest OP and Toriko chapters for measure. OP hit a rough patch with Fishman Island but Oda’s been on fire with Punk Hazard. Loads of fun and good development. Same with Toriko. It’s been on the slower side for a while but this latest chapter was great. The facial expressions of Toriko starving and the threatening aura of Chiyo.
Nay Top2ne1, I stand by what I said. If I were to argue why I don’t like OP, I fear we’ll go into a senseless discussion without any winner. Personal Tastes brah 🙂
hmm today at naruto manga itachi pet his enemy that kicked his ass alot, but in bleach a quincy almost got himself brutally killed by a big ass monster, its a win for bleach this time!
hmmm with all the build up to this point I can’t say Izanami was as exciting as it was meant to be. Basically it’s just like Kurama’s (from YuYu Hakusho) Sinning Tree that trapped elder Toguro in an endless battle against Kurama himself. Most likely that’s where Kishimoto got the idea in the first place considering that he also named the Nine Tails as a tribute to Kurama.
This has got to be the most confusing chapter in the last 100 chapters or so.
So… What’s gonna happen to Itachi, now that he’s still alive? He’s still just a zombie.
Don’t tell me he’s gonna go live in Konoha…
As unlikely as it may seem, that’d be hilarious!
Seriously, if both Uchiha brothers don’t meet real Madara (because of Kabuto’s defeat), I’ll be really dissapointed 🙁 Madara must come and kick their asses, to show who’s the real Uchiha master of all times (blah, seriously, kabuto just could have cold Madar and the fight would be over long ago)
@top”Also, I’m kind of wondering what makes this technique forbidden as well. Is it because it would normally cause complete blindness in the eye?”
Um…. yep…. that’s why…… That that was obvious. I bet you’re even more confused than Kabuto this time.
Kabuto just got royally trolled.
I have 4 disappointments.
One is how Kabuto lacked the imagination to at least summon two extra zombie to create psychological impacts on Sasuke and Itachi, their mother and father. Had he summoned those two instead of confronting Sasuke directly, he could have created huge mind attacks that would make even Itachi a bit immobile.
The second is how Izanami is simply another genjutsu and what only makes it unique is that it does not require eye contact. The only effect it has is mentally trap someone in an endless loop for who knows how long.
The third disappointment is the power of Edo Tessei, I had originally thought that things such as the Blindness issue with the Sharingan would be fixed in Itachi’s case where his immorality would “cure” him of his problem and he won’t get blind do to high regeneration ability.
The fourth is how Madara no seems to going to be stopped now that Kabbuto may be forced to end his jutsu.
L002: For your first point, remember that Kabuto needs a DNA sample from the ninja he wants to summon. He cannot just summon anyone he likes. He never expected Zombie Itachi to be able to break free of the Edo Tensei control, so he didn’t prepare for that.
I think that Kishimoto will switch back to the Kage battle before Kabuto cancels the Edo Tensei. It will be anticlimatic if he doesn’t show us the result of the fight against Madara.
Sorry, I should have said that Kabuto should have gone and get the DNA of those people. After all, those two should be some of the strongest of the Uchiha clan. Anyway, even if he didn’t expect Itachi to break free, he should have known that Tobi couldn’t keep Sasuke on the leash and that Sasuke would have come to him.
Kishimoto would be a complete troll if he didn’t show what made Madara Uchiha can do as a literal fusion of the first hokage, himself, and the sage of six paths. Would expect someone like him to make an entire forest that extends to an entire country.
So how many times in a row can Kabuto puke out himself?
Anyone noticed that the ‘loops’ created by Izanami are not perfect replicas of each other? In one loop, Itachi told Sasuke to stay close to him, but in another loop he told Sasuke to get away from him. There is something fishy going on with the loops. I am trying to connect this to Itachi’s statement about wanting Kabuto to decide his own fate in the endless loops.
This kinda reminds me of how Kurama (in Yuyu Hakusho) defeated the elder Toguro. He infected him with a plant that makes the victim hallucinate in an endless loop. A perfect attack for immortal opponents! hehe
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Well that last panel with Itachi having hand contact on Kabuto’s head I’d be betting the lot that Mind Technique is the Izanami thing. U directly inject Genjutsu into opponent which mixes with opponents chakra and causes opponent not to recognize or be able to attempt to break out of the Genjutsu. Only by being at “peace” with oneself i.e. Stilling Your Mind … forcing the brain/head to empty of all chakra and activity completely will break Izanami … either brain death or Enlightenment ???
I think Kabuto is gonna FREAKOUT when he realises this or Itachi tells him more clearly.