Recent Naruto Manga (Chapters 400+)

[Sai]

I just read 301. Sasuke was so arrogant it seemed like. Guess Orochimaru is rubbing off on him.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Ah, these two classic theories. They haven't been discussed in this thread, no, but I'm sure they have been mentioned at some point.

Personally, I maintain neutrality on both subjects. It would be an easy narrative step for Naruto to eventually be called the Fourth Hokage's son, and it would make sense that Yandaime wouldn't just subject some random child to that. Of course, that does bring up the mother question.

As for the 4th being the leader of Akatsuki... I'm pretty sure that this theory developed because his silhouette looks similar. If I saw this I'd be somewhat surprised, simply because it doesn't make a great deal of sense. Though you could say that by "sacrificing his life" to stop the fox demon he was actually just trying to capture its power and fall from public view in one move]

Yes, infact I did find a faked scanlation (and posted it here) with Naruto going "The 4th... is the Akatsuki leader??" I'll try to find it

edit: some info I found on the theory

The theory goes that the Yondaime Hokage may be none of ther than the leader of the Akatsuki. Perhaps you don't agree with this (actually I don't quite either), but many fans out there believe that this is a strong possibility. The physical appearance of the leader shows that he has spiky hair, possibly similar to the Yondaime's, and unusual eyes. Also, it is assumed that the Yondaime is dead. Or is he?

From what we know, the Shiki Fuujin takes allows the user to pull the soul out of his opposition, but in exchange, also takes his life as well. We see that when the Sandaime (3rd) Hokage uses it on Orochimaru, his soul is given the the god of death, and when he uses the jutsu, the seal that is also on Naruto's belly appears on his chest. While he fails to pull out Orochimaru's soul, he does leave Orochimaru armless, and does indeed die.

In the case of the Yondaime Hokage, we know that he used the same technique, but the Kyuubi did not die - rather his soul was imprisoned within Naruto, and Naruto has the characteristic seal appear around his belly when he uses the Kyuubi's chakra. perhaps by some twisted way of trying to seal a demon monster made up of "a large amount of chakra" into a baby rather than just killing it, the Yondaime did not die, but lived. Another possibility is that if the Kyuubi's spirit still lives, somehow the Yondaime's spirit still roams the earth, even though he may not be physically alive. Not surpisingly, then, his main target is the Kyuubi withing Naruto. Either way, this brings up the question as to why he would form such a dangerous group, killing many innocent individuals and collecting the bijuu. Is he secretly trying to take over the world?

This indeed seems sketchy, with very little basis to truly be developed. One of the main reasons this may have been created is because many fans would like to the Yondaime back in action. There are many other possible characters that may be dead or alive that the leader could be, or it could be an entirely new character - all the other Akatsuki have been so far. However, this will only be settled once Kishimoto-sensei decides to reveal the leader.

[Sai]

Hmmmm, but didnt the fourth's coffin come up when Sandaime was fight Orochimaru? Sandaime threw a sharingan in it before it opened i thought. Maybe it was something to throw suspicion off of him tho and it was a fake coffin or something like that.

[uc pseudonym]

Yes, infact I did find a faked scanlation (and posted it here) with Naruto going "The 4th... is the Akatsuki leader??" I'll try to find it

Faked scanlations are great at times. I'd love to see someone go all out and create a total fake. That is, get a person to post a fake Japanese script, get a person to translate it, come out with a fake RAW that more or less matches, etc.

Sandaime threw a sharingan in it

I know what you meant, but you have to admit this is pretty funny. Otherwise, I don't remember this fight well enough to comment.

[Mr. SmartyPants]

Hmmmm, but didnt the fourth's coffin come up when Sandaime was fight Orochimaru? Sandaime threw a sharingan in it before it opened i thought. Maybe it was something to throw suspicion off of him tho and it was a fake coffin or something like that.

Sandaime knew that Yondaime was the strongest. So there was incentive there for him to make sure that one never opened.

[Myoti]

Faked scanlations are great at times. I'd love to see someone go all out and create a total fake. That is, get a person to post a fake Japanese script, get a person to translate it, come out with a fake RAW that more or less matches, etc.

Ooh, that sounds fun. =D

[Sai]

Originally posted by Sai:
Sandaime threw a sharingan in it




I know what you meant, but you have to admit this is pretty funny. Otherwise, I don't remember this fight well enough to comment.

Yeah it does sound funny now that i look back. Sorry.

Sandaime knew that Yondaime was the strongest. So there was incentive there for him to make sure that one never opened.

I was just trying to show that he was most likely dead, Yondaime i mean.

[Mave]

Well, I did something I'd never thought I'll do this year. I just read up 3-4 volumes of the latest chapters this evening and am relatively up-to-date with the Naruto manga. Unfortunately, my post will entirely be emotional (and most likely, pointless) responses to the characters so do not have any hopes of intelligent speculations or comments on fighting techniques/strategical battles/powers. Sorry, brothers.

I'm also assuming that most of you have read up to a point where using spoiler tags are really redundant. Unless.....I have to spare you of some opinions.

Sai: OK, I was terribly distracted by his clothing/suit. What's up with the exposed abdomen/short top? It just seems impractical and eh....kinda EEW. LOL Anyway, I admit I'm curious with his background (that picture book!) but until that is wholly revealed, it's hard not to be frustratingly puzzled with his angst. Oh well, at least, I like his drawing technique.

Come to think of it, he reminds me of a mix of a more foul-mouthed mix of Soujirou (RK) and Sasuke. At a split second, I thought he was Sasuke who had lost his memory or something. And oh, did I mention how I squirmed at the sight of his clothing? Bad Kishimoto, put a little more fabric on that kid's tummy! (>.<);;

Orochimaru/Kabuto: Oh man, I can't wait for the day someone finally destroys Orochimaro and Kabuto once and for all. All they seem to do is conspire, smirk, get pwned, survive, get back to toying around with ppl's lives, and then, conspire, smirk........

Sakura: Since I'm a fan of the older version, I'm very happy to see her play a stronger role, both physically and emotionally. I have to admit I was surprised to see her punch Sai, but it was cool at the same time. Before that, her teamwork with Chiyo-san was awesome; I loved every bit of that battle.

Naruto: Well.....what can I say except that I wished that the Kyuubi destroyed Orochimaru? Or Ok, at least, chew him a bit more and spit him out in disgust? Sighhh.....ok ok, enough Orochi-bashing. I'm so sorry! (>_<);;; I can't help it! I need a better outlet for these feelings. I wasn't terribly impressed by Naruto's current kyuubi form but as a whole, I am more fond of (and thus, worried for) the older Naruto. Sure, he loses this temper like a kid and all but he won me over with what happened to Gaara.

Gaara/Shino/Other Ex-Students: Speaking of Gaara, I'm very relieved to have him back. I'm sorry to see the Sand Clan Arc end (at least, that's how I'm describing that whole section with Gaara. *breathes out a sigh of relief* Seeing the other ex-students was pretty exciting to say the least. [spoiler= DO NOT read if you don't like fangirlism/bishie-droolism] It unfortunately triggered a wave of fangirlism in me, though. I have to admit to random interjections such as "Boy, am I glad Kiba, Shino and Shikamaru have grown up! Shoot, is it me or is Gaara getting hotter by the minute? Eeeeeee!! *fangirl squeal* So CUTE! "[/spoiler] It was also nice to see older Hinata and Ino. However, it was short-lived since we only see them for a short moment. Still, I'm happy that the female characters I really like had a bit more spotlight (Temari, Tsunade and Sakura).

Yamato: Eh, I'm not sure what to think of him. His scary face is kinda funny though. I guess I'm just having a Kakashi withdrawal. The twist about the genes is not bad but I really got nervous when Orochimaru and Kabuto literally drooled over him like maniacs. "Hmmmmm.....nice research subject. Can't wait to experiment on him." Those two just give science a bad name.

Kakashi: I agree with Naruto: That last part about Gai and Kakashi? Both creepy and amusing. I'm not too curious about his new sharingan but you guys did bring out interesting discussions. Kakashi seems to get worn out a lot more lately though in his latest battles.

Sasuke: Aha....it's about time! Now, I don't think there's anything wrong with his hair and his arrogance. Still the same if not worse. XD Let's see whether his sacrifice was worthed it or not and what mad skillz he's picked up eversince. He had better be cooler than Orochimaru and Kabuto. It would be nice if he got rid of them in the end.

.....

Gah! I just can't stop bash....OK, I'll shut up now. Sorry, everyone. I just had to let it all out. Orochi/Kabuto fans are welcomed to flame me via PMs.

[MasterDias]

[quote="Mave"]
Sai: OK, I was terribly distracted by his clothing/suit. What's up with the exposed abdomen/short top? It just seems impractical and eh....kinda EEW. LOL Anyway, I admit I'm curious with his background (that picture book!) but until that is wholly revealed, it's hard not to be frustratingly puzzled with his angst. Oh well, at least, I like his drawing technique.

Come to think of it, he reminds me of a mix of a more foul-mouthed mix of Soujirou (RK) and Sasuke. At a split second, I thought he was Sasuke who had lost his memory or something. And oh, did I mention how I squirmed at the sight of his clothing? Bad Kishimoto, put a little more fabric on that kid's tummy! (>.<)]
For the first several appearances, a large number of the fanbase thought he was a girl...
Kishimoto and his bizarro androgynous character designs...

[Sai]

I hate Sai's shirt too. I don't know if he is telling the truth about the whole Danzou (or however his name is spelled) thing. I don't think he would spill the beans on the plan that easily.

[uc pseudonym]

Well, I did something I'd never thought I'll do this year. I just read up 3-4 volumes of the latest chapters this evening and am relatively up-to-date with the Naruto manga.

Go ahead, pat yourself on the back. I'll welcome your contributions here, if you intend to keep up with the manga.

[Yamato's] scary face is kinda funny though.

Heh, I agree. I couldn't bring myself to find it scary.

Regarding 303: has anyone else been getting the sense that things have been anti-climactic lately? The battle with Orochimaru, for all the pages it took up, sort of just ended. Now they confront Sai in Orochimaru's hideout with Sasuke nearby and Kabuto looking for them and... nothing happens. This chapter will rise slightly in my estimation if Sai was lying constanty and he has more complicated motives.

[Myoti]

Orochimaru/Kabuto: Oh man, I can't wait for the day someone finally destroys Orochimaro and Kabuto once and for all. All they seem to do is conspire, smirk, get pwned, survive, get back to toying around with ppl's lives, and then, conspire, smirk........

L O Freakin' L

Kishimoto and his bizarro androgynous character designs...

Indeed. I thought those two twins (can never remember their names...) were girls at first, till this caption on the page told me otherwise. o.o

Same with other characters, like Haku (but that was just... wierd...).

[Mr. SmartyPants]

[spoiler= DO NOT read if you don't like fangirlism/bishie-droolism] It unfortunately triggered a wave of fangirlism in me, though. I have to admit to random interjections such as "Boy, am I glad Kiba, Shino and Shikamaru have grown up! Shoot, is it me or is Gaara getting hotter by the minute? Eeeeeee!! *fangirl squeal* So CUTE! "[/spoiler]

ahh you make me laugh

Yamato: Eh, I'm not sure what to think of him. His scary face is kinda funny though. I guess I'm just having a Kakashi withdrawal. The twist about the genes is not bad but I really got nervous when Orochimaru and Kabuto literally drooled over him like maniacs. "Hmmmmm.....nice research subject. Can't wait to experiment on him." Those two just give science a bad name.

I love that random face he puts up. It's so freaky yet funny. Remind's me of Jubei Chan. I also don't think Kabuto and Orochimaru give a bad name to JUST science... more like all villans in general. I think Kabuto is an interesting character though. Orochimaru on the other hand, is some Micheal Jackson wannabe guy who likes licking people.

[uc pseudonym]

I've always kind of liked Kabuto, partially because the fights involving him are generally more interesting, partially because his skills seem more based on skill (as opposed to raw power). So I haven't been particularly happy with his development as of late, first getting smashed aside by Kyuubi Naruto and then conducting weird experiments.

Same with other characters, like Haku (but that was just... wierd...).

Yes. When I first read that I glossed over it, but about an hour later (while doing something completely unrelated) I thought back about it. To be completely honest, I have no idea whatsoever what the purpose of this was.

[Sai]

Sai turned out ok i guess in chapter 304... or at least more ok than before. I wonder what will happen next with Naruto and Sai running into Orochimaru in his lair.

[uc pseudonym]

Having read 306, what I was struck by more than anything else was that essentially this entire chapter was us not seeing Sasuke. Specifically, after he is first noticed it is seven pages until we see him and eight until we get a full body shot. Terribly drawn out (even to the point of Naruto tripping...).

But regarding his new outfit: I'm not terribly impressed. It isn't terribly bad (other than Orochimaru's bow) and I wonder what the stick behind his back is. If he actually uses a larger weapon I'll approve. Then again, this could just be what he sleeps in.

[Sai]

I am kind of happy that Sai didn't betray Naruto's trust again.. But it did take way too long for Naruto to get to Sasuke at the end IMO.

[Myoti]

Talk about anti-climactic.

Give us the other Konoha characters and Akatsuki already. I could really care less about Sasuke now.

[Sai]

It takes so long O_o. Sasuke needs to hurry up and die or something. Anybody know who this Madara Uchiha is though? Naruto keeps on doing.. well it doesnt seem like too much... meh.. It still seems like we havent seen everything he can do yet.

[uc pseudonym]

This entire arc has really been fairly anti-climactic, in my opinion. Somehow I doubt anyone is really going to die, and to be honest that's mostly what shonen manga come down to: who ends up dying.

I'm not sure what I think about Sasuke confronting the Nine-tailed Fox directly. It seems odd and slightly off to me, but I do like how Sasuke is obviously far stronger in ways other than raw strength and jutsu. He actually seems much wiser and more skilled.

About "Madara Uchiha" I'm fairly certain this is somone we haven't heard of before... perhaps the third Mangekyou user?

Interestingly enough, Sasuke seems to be about as powerful as one of Leaf's most elite Jounin. That means that Naruto and Sakura will likely be on a similar level fairly soon. However, that still puts them well below Akatsuki, at least in theory. I wonder if they'll go through more training before actually fighting them directly or if they'll just get stronger as the battles continue.

[Sai]

If there is anymore training i think i will vomit.

[Myoti]

I would like to know (like so many other fans) what the heck Naruto was doing these past three years with Jiraiya. Chasing girls with him?

He comes back claiming he has all these "new moves," and so far, I believe, we've seen him pull himself out of midair with a clone. That's it.

The past few fights he's done nothing but his overused mix of Shadow Clones and Rasengan. It's getting old. :/

If there is anymore training i think i will vomit.

Like the Tsunade Arc... -_-;

[Sai]

I also dont like how they arent explaining the other area Naruto is so powerful from... ITS ANNOYING! Just chop chop... will that is what my opinion of the matter is.

[Myoti]

I think I agree with you, if I can figger our what you're talking about. o_O

[Sai]

what? which part? sorry...

[uc pseudonym]

An attempt to clarify, though I could be off myself: It has been said that Naruto seems to be strong on his own, otherwise he wouldn't be able to withstand the Kyuubi chakra. But since this doesn't have to do with it, it is unclear how he has this power. Am I right?

Personally, I don't think it's that bad. I assume it is either a natural thing (everyone else is a genius of some sort, right?) or it will have to do with his parents. There are plenty of people insisting that Naruto has a lot of chakra on his own because his father is the Fourth Hokage...

He comes back claiming he has all these "new moves," and so far, I believe, we've seen him pull himself out of midair with a clone. That's it.

I assume he was training much like he did before (because Jaraya is a great ninja, if a self-proclaimed pervert). But you make a good point that he claimed to have new techniques and has done next to nothing with them. Against Orochimaru it makes sense that he wouldn't have had a chance (with the fourth tail and all) but you would think we would have seen some of them by now.

[Sai]

An attempt to clarify, though I could be off myself: It has been said that Naruto seems to be strong on his own, otherwise he wouldn't be able to withstand the Kyuubi chakra. But since this doesn't have to do with it, it is unclear how he has this power. Am I right?

Yes that is what i meant. Sorry. I will clarify better next time. I read the new chapter and saw the word "mission" and was disappointed. MORE MISSIONS?! At least Sai is nice now but I wish Kakashi was back.

[Myoti]

Yeah, okay. That makes sense (well, technically it doesn't, but... Xp ).

And yeah, it seems like all his training was just... pointless now.

[MasterDias]

And allow me to jump back into this discussion...

To be honest, I wasn't really expecting a climactic ending to this arc. The mention of Uchiha Madara was interesting, but it was basically Sasuke in a samurai getup owning everybody. Plotwise, it struck me as too soon for Naruto and Sasuke to have their final battle, assuming that the manga does indeed have a long way to go.

My biggest complaint is similar to what Myoti said actually. We still haven't seen Naruto do much of anything. Admittingly, the battle was pretty short which could be one of the factors, but Naruto basically did nothing but get knocked down, Sai was knocked around as well, and Sakura only managed to attempt an interrupted charge...
I'm hoping that Team 7 will have a better performance in this next mission...

[Sai]

Naruto did sort of make a huge crater in the battle with orochimaru but it wasnt super cool since it didnt do anything really besides kill trees. I forgot how Sakura disappointed me in the sasuke battle.. she rushed in and didnt think really about defense.. or so it seemed. Sai held his own so-so i thought. I kind of also want to see what full force means for the guy that is the team captain right now.