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 Posted: Mon May 21, 2007 5:59 am
Just for anyone who needs help on finding moments in the manga:
I always check at leafninja.com for chapter names-- they have a manga guide for every chapter, and you can usually get the general idea of where your scene is at there.
then I go to NarutoMangaReturns if I don't already have the scene saved, and save the pages off that site.
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Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:13 am
Essay:Why Sasuke *MIGHT* Have Left Sakura On A Bench By: Iia (Remedi)
On: Fri Mar 02, 2007 4:36 pm
To Comment, Post Here: http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?page=1&t=8065719Remedi  So, this is an essay I wrote at school today, and then typed up for everone here to see. I'd like to know if it's a good piece of work, and I'd like to hear who agrees and who doesn't agree with the points I make here. I've never seen an essay written on just this one scene, so I hope I did good. <3-=-=-=-=-Pre-Notices+ This essay is based on personal opinion based on canon facts.
+ This essay was not written to diss Anti-SasuSaku fans, nor was it written to convert them.
+ This is Iia’s first fandom essay. Don’t be too harsh on it.
+ Made some typos? OOPS. My bad.-=-=-=-=- As a Naruto fan, you’ve probably seen episode 109 (If you’re a stickler to the manga: Chapter 181), right? If you don’t remember, this holds the scene where Sasuke and Sakura meet and conflict over Sasuke himself leaving Konoha for good, to gain power from the legendary sannin, Orochimaru. You don’t have to be a SasuSaku fan to agree that this scene is heartbreaking. Nevertheless, there is always that one person who sees this moment as a mere display of Sasuke’s cruel and cold attitude towards Sakura. This is a huge misconception, as Sasuke has shown more than enough care towards his teammates (just squint a bit, and you’ll see). However, this essay is not to analyze all of that. This essay’s purpose is to analyze and explain the possibilities of why Uchiha Sasuke left his teammate, Haruno Sakura on a bench before he left. First off, let’s take a moment to go over what happened to lead up to this point.What Happened Our scene starts off at Ichiraku Ramen; Naruto’s favorite restaurant. Here we see Naruto and Sakura, who are on a “date”. The funny thing about this date? Sakura initiates it. We all find out, however, that Sakura didn’t go on a date with Naruto for romance; she is worried about Sasuke, and despite his orders for her not to tell anyone about his curse seal, Sakura is too worried to keep this info to herself. Naruto understands her worry, and reassures her that Sasuke will be alright; the Uchiha would never do something like betray Konoha (Let’s Note: Neither Naruto nor Sakura understand Sasuke’s situation.) Though Sakura is grateful from Naruto’s attempts to comfort her, she is still not 100% convinced that Sasuke will stay in Konoha. She has a bad feeling, and after the “date”, rushes to the road that leads out of Konoha, where she does indeed meet up with Sasuke...who is equipped with a back-pack. It’s final: He is leaving. Sasuke questions her and tells her to go on home, but Sakura will not leave. Sakura tries to convince Sasuke to stay with her, with Team 7, and with Konoha, but Sasuke will not stay. She even confesses her love to him: She NEEDS him, and soon after threatens to scream if he doesn’t stay. Sasuke turns to leave, but in a flash, moves himself right behind Sakura. “Thank you,” he says. For what? Maybe everything. Sasuke then hits Sakura in the back of the neck (Let’s Note: Sasuke didn’t beat her up), causing her to lose consciousness, and lays her on a stone bench before he leaves Konoha.The Bench: Why? Now that our memories are refreshed, let’s get to analyzing the facts. We’ll start off with the two major arguments that lots of Sasuke-Haters and Anti-SasuSaku-ers just LOVE to use:+ Sasuke left Sakura on a stone bench in the middle of the night. How uncomfortable and unsafe is that?! + Yes, the first part of this is true: The bench was of stone, and yes, I’m sure that it was uncomfortable. But, let’s remember that Sakura was already knocked out. She wouldn’t have felt anything until she woke up, and as a ninja she is probably flexible anyways and used to sleeping in uncomfy places. Now, I have to disagree with the “unsafe” part, and here’s why: The bench was somewhere near the gates of Konoha. Konoha is a shinobi village, so with ninja on guard around the town at all times, I very highly doubt that there’s a high crime rate within the gate walls. Secondly, we’re talking near the gates. Because Konoha is a ninja village, with it’s own pack of enemies, I can assume that the area Sakura was in is probably one of the most heavily guarded areas in the village, ESPECIALLY at night. I think that I’m safe to say that Sasuke left Sakura in next to no danger at all, save for maybe a cold (though we could say that we haven’t seen much of a winter climate in Konoha).Counter In-Short: With Sakura’s flexibility and ninja training/experience, a stone bench probably wasn’t so bad, and with Konoha’s top security at that gates, Sasuke left her in a place that was very safe.+ If Sasuke REALLY cared, he’d have brought her somewhere else! He left her on a BENCH! This shows how much he DOESN’T care. + If Sasuke really didn’t care, he’d have left her on the GROUND. Let’s focus on the fact that Sasuke is a 12-13 year old boy who is running away. He can’t get caught leaving, or he possibly won’t be able to leave at all. Leaving Sakura on the bench would prevent Sasuke from getting caught by someone who could really stop him from leaving (Let’s Note: Remember that before this, Sakura was with Naruto. Naruto may NOT have gotten home yet that night. Naruto could have very well prevented Sasuke from leaving). As a boy, there were probably numerous people who could’ve understood what was going on, and stopped Sasuke from leaving because of their strength compared to his own.Counter In-Short: The bench was better than the ground, and for Sasuke, it was the best thing for Sakura considering that he couldn’t allow himself to get caught.Other Places Sasuke Could [NOT] Have Left Sakura So, we’ve analyzed the two biggest conflicting points on the bench incident, but we aren’t done just yet! Let’s say Sasuke wanted to bring Sakura somewhere better (I personally think he DID, but with the inconvenience of being exposed and being caught, it was impossible). Let’s say he was going to. Where could he really take her? The following suggestions are things I’ve actually seen in debates, though none would actually work. Let’s see what they are and why:+ Sakura’s House + Oh, really? This REALLY couldn’t work. One, we don’t even know if Sasuke knows where Sakura lives. Two, Sakura has family (a mother, at least). As a parent, how would you feel if in the middle of the night, your daughter is brought to you unconscious, in the arms of her crush, sporting a filled backpack. I know that I would be confused and suspicious. Sasuke just wouldn’t have time to be questioned by Sakura’s parents (and I’m pretty sure he wouldn’t want to completely lie like that) if he was trying to run away. ++ Counter: But Sakura has a window next to her bed! He could just slip through and put her there! ++ True. But we aren’t sure if Sasuke knows about this. And even if he does, what if it was locked? I’m sure Sasuke would have a BLAST explaining to the Harunos why he broke the window to their daughter’s room. Finally, do you REALLY think that he’s thinking about this? Give Sasuke some slack, he’s making a HUGE move forward in his life; he can’t have the layout of his friends’ houses in mind.+ Hospital + Like anywhere else, Sasuke bringing Sakura to the hospital would put him in danger of getting caught. Also, sending her to the hospital would probably put him in one of the worst situations he could be in. I mean, the medics would immediately know that she was knocked unconscious, and I doubt that they wouldn’t call Sakura’s parents and just let Sasuke go without questioning.+ Naruto’s House/Kakashi’s House + ...WHY would Sasuke bring her there, and WHY would Sasuke go to the two other people that would have the most influence on making him stay, when he clearly wants to leave?+ Sasuke’s House + Sasuke knows that Sakura likes him, and as her friend, I doubt he wants to bring her even more pain (Let’s Note: Think about it, she’d be waking up in his house; it’d probably be very emotional for her) than what he’s already giving her. That, and go to the place he’s probably called home since after his home in the Uchiha District. Maybe going back there would be hard on him, too.-=-=-=-=- The final statement? Sasuke leaving Sakura on a bench was the BEST option for himself, and it was something that he knew Sakura could handle and be safe on. He was thinking of her and of his situation when he decided to place her there. He did NOT do it because he wanted to be mean. He wasn’t being an “a*****e”, nor was he being a “heartless b*****d”. He did it in consideration of both of them, and with as much care as he possibly could without jeopardizing his own plan. Again, this was my person analyzations; whether they actually apply or not is unknown, but it is highly possible that they could and would. I hope I’ve brought up understandable and sensible points, so that Anti-SasuSaku fans and Anti-Sasuke fans can realize that Sasuke was being considerate and gentle, and his actions really prove it if you take a closer look.
Sasuke really did care, even if it wasn’t in a romantic interest. He CARED. Does anything else really matter?The End
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Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:14 am
Trusty's Rant: An Uchiha Sasuke Essay By: --The Trusty Sidekick--
On: Sun Mar 04, 2007 4:07 pm
To Comment, Post Here: http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=8094355--The Trusty Sidekick-- [+]Copyright Disclaimer[+]This is an essay dedicated to Uchiha Sasuke, of the popular manga and anime Naruto, and Naruto Shippuuden. This essay is completely fan made, the story created by Masashi Kishimoto. [+]Author’s Disclaimer[+]I have decided to write an essay due to the overwhelming amount of hating Uchiha Sasuke gets on a daily basis. I understand completely that sometimes there is no way that you can changed someone’s opinion of something. I put this essay together strictly to because I am sick of defending him in parts. I am just going to address everything I have seen to this date. [+]The Pride of Konoha: The Uchiha Clan[+]The prestigious blood of the Uchiha Clan, known to almost everyone and admired by nearly everyone they came in contact with. Becoming the police of Konohagakure, and keeping the village in check they became a huge asset to ninjas. But was this always so? Was the Uchiha clan always the backbone of the Hidden Leaf Village?
Apparently not, The Uchiha’s most recently in Part II of the manga and now the anime, that the Uchiha’s have a dark past and that of an evil one.
Kitsune no Kyuubi spoke of the Uchiha’s as a cursed clan. With cursed blood, and cursed bloodline. He then spoke of Uchiha Madara, a cursed man that had more wicked chakra then the nine tailed himself. But this name had no affect on Sasuke. As if he didn’t know this. [+]My opinion on this matter[+] Uchiha Madara was a sinister man that created the Mangekyo Sharingan. A powerful man, just as he is evil. But if he was so powerful, why was he kept a clan secret? That answer came easy to me. After Madara disappeared from his family’s life, the clan started over. Wanted a new exterior and that a good one. They covered up the evil of their clan, the darkness of it, and became the Police of the Konoha. [+]The Return of Evil: Uchiha Itachi[+] After the clan took years to fix their title, a prodigy is born in the name of Uchiha Itachi. Born of nothing but natural skill, there was no need for late night training, he didn’t need that. He was a powerful member of the clan, who exceeded everyone’s expectations. And in that, he became someone to lean on in the clan. Someone to fall back on, he was powerful, and to be powerful, he wanted more power. In turn he found what he was looking for.
Itachi killed his best friend and cousin to receive an evil mark of the Uchiha’s, the Mangekyo Sharingan or Kaleidoscope eye. And after he received it, one night, he destroyed his entire clan. Brutally murdering them all, all accept Sasuke. [+]My reasoning on that[+] Itachi left his little brother alive, just for that reason. He is his little brother. Sasuke treated Itachi as family; he looked up to him and wanted to be like him. Sasuke wanted to also, be stronger then him, he didn’t fall back on him for help, he wanted to prove himself to Sasuke, not his father, not his mother. He wanted to be like Itachi. Itachi also knew that he is strong enough to where he is unstoppable at this point in time. Even Orochimaru is unable to stop him, the reason he left the Akatsuki was because Itachi as too strong for him. If he is stronger then a Sanin, and a Sanin is stronger then a Kage, then where does that leave Itachi. Almost a god status? [+]Itachi’s Last words[+] Why did Itachi leave him with instruction on how to obtain the Mangekyo Sharingan? Itachi is an unstoppable force to where only someone with the same power can defeat you. And that is Sasuke. He told Sasuke “If you want eyes like these, you must kill you best friend…”
Sure he said that as an instruction to get them. The same way he did. But in that, those words and that night made Uchiha Sasuke who he is. [+]Early Child Hood[+]Sasuke became a very anti social after the Uchiha Massacre, which isn’t very uncommon, his entire life was destroyed in one night. He became very suicidal attempting once, and then became very vengeful in time. Sasuke then knew what he had to do. Sasuke had to become stronger to where he will be able to fight his brother and kill him. Sasuke then made a silent pact to himself not to get attached because to him that showed a weakness that Itachi could attack. [+]Team Seven: The Beginning[+] From the start, team seven had issues. There was the severe jealous of Naruto towards Sasuke, Sakura’s infatuation with Sasuke, and Sasuke’s want for there to be an I in Team. So it began, the journey to friendship, trust, and adulthood. A somewhere along those lines, a bond was formed. An unbreakable one, to where each of them knew each other better then anyone else. Of course it wasn’t perfect, but nothing is. [+]The Chuunin Exam: The beginning of the End[+] During the Chuunin exam something happened there to where it couldn’t be explained. An unknown character was introduced by the name of Orochimaru. During the survival part of the Chuunin exam, Uchiha Sasuke was bitten on the neck by Orochimaru and a mark was placed on his neck. Making him fall weak and unconscious along with Naruto, Sakura was then forced to stay awake and protect them with her life. And in that, she did. Enduring pain, and showing true strength she showed she was a ninja.
Suddenly an evil chakra surrounded Sasuke and a evil morbid him came out. After on a rampage to just about killing another ninja, Sakura was able to stop him. The feeling even scared him, he wasn’t sure why he had it, or what he was supposed to do with it. [+]Post Chuunin Exams/Pre-Timeskip[+] During this time Sasuke was put in a awkward position, he was always on watch, and he was a ticking time bomb. He was able to control it with the help of Kakashi’s seal holding it in, as long as he wanted to. [+]The Reunion: Itachi and Sasuke 4 years later[+] Upon finding out that the Akatsuki was after Naruto, Sasuke runs after him to find where he is, and in turn along with finding Naruto, he finds his brother. Itachi after barely lifting a finger shows Sasuke how that there still is a difference. He tells him that Sasuke isn’t what he wants, and he needs Naruto.
Remember, Sasuke is overly jealous at this point in time of Naruto and how he is advancing must faster then he ever was.
Itachi then speaks to him again, after four years, asking him why he is weak. And then answering his own question he tells him its because he lacks darkness and evil intent.
[+]The Final Straw: The Return of the Sound 4[+] After Sasuke’s meeting with Itachi, he felt weak, and unable to do much. And now, he finds that the Akatsuki is after Naruto. Someone, that he felt was inferior to him his entire life. And on the dreadful night the Sound 4 came, they told him that he could come, and there was power involved. Enough power to kill Itachi, as long as he would give his body of Orochimaru. [+]My Opinion[+] Sasuke had all the right to leave. In this, it was a human decision. Why people hate him so much for this is beyond me. Sasuke has said from the very beginning that he had to be stronger then his brother to kill him. When he thought he was dying in the Wave Country Arc, he said that he couldn’t die until he killed Itachi. He left for the power that he knew he needed, and if the power gap was that far apart, he had to leave. It was human, and in turn I would have done the same thing in his position. [+]A Cruel Goodbye: Leaving Konoha[+]Sakura knew he was leaving that night. Call it woman’s intuition, she knew he wasn’t going to stay. And in that, she tried to stop him. Yes she tried simple things, stay and we can help you, the right way. But that didn’t work. In the end she tried to confess her feelings of love to try to get him to stay, maybe just maybe it would work. But his heart was already decided, no matter how much he wanted to stay, he couldn’t. Not as long as Itachi was out there. So he thanked her, knocked her out and left. [+]My opinion:[+] Why “Thank you?” Because she truly cared for him, and he knew that, she was going to do everything to leave just for him. So he thanked her for actually caring for him, even though he did nothing but hurt her through the years, ignore her feelings and degrade her, she stuck by his side, and that meant something to her. Why did he just leave her on the bench that was better explained in Remedi’s essay Why Uchiha Sasuke *MIGHT* have left Haruno Sakura on a bench.[+]A Hearts Wishes: The Valley of the End[+] Sasuke here, was leaving, but not without a fight. And an all out fight. Cursed chakra Vs. Cursed Chakra, and both of them learned something. They were best friends. In the end, Naruto wasn’t able to stop Sasuke, fate happened, Sasuke was meant to go. And instead of killing Naruto to obtain the Mangekyo, he left him there, exhausted.
When Sasuke walked into the darkness it showed him leaving a good life to leaving for the path of evil intensions. But he didn’t want to be Itachi, so he decided to find his own way, while he trained with Orochimaru. [+]Beyond Two Years: A 360 Change[+] Upon meeting with Sasuke, the new Team Seven sees Sasuke. He is different and now has an evil and cold heart. A heartbreaking moment to Team 7, but all the cuts aren’t healed, while Sai insults Naruto, a cold and deathly look comes from Sasuke and Sai is utterly scared. [+]From the Snake’s Mouth[+] In most recent chapters of Naruto, Orochimaru states that Sasuke is much stronger then Orochimaru ever was at that age, and it was almost time for him to be taken. In a flash back, Orochimaru tells Sasuke that he will not be able to kill Itachi if he cannot kill his emotions. In that, he tells Orochimaru that he will not show any mercy towards him. And at the end of the chapter Sasuke attacks Orochimaru in a weakened state.
Sasuke states, “I will not show you any mercy, not even if you beg!”
Something he was going to say to someone he hates.
[+]My Outlook on this Scene[+]Uchiha Sasuke hates him for everything he has become. He never wanted to be evil, and heartless. He hates Itachi, and in turn, he hates what he is. He wants to kill him; Sasuke knew that taking up Orochimaru’s offer on becoming stronger had dire consequences, becoming everything he hates.
And now he after waiting patiently, he want to kill him for everything he made him. [+]Sasuke in short[+]Uchiha Sasuke is a very complex character which is why he is so appealing towards me. He has a very human outlook on life, love, hate friendship, vengefulness, and conscious. This makes Uchiha Sasuke great. He has made some mistakes, but who doesn’t. In truth, he isn’t has heartless and uncaring as everyone thinks. Sasuke wants to kill Itachi so he has a chance at a good life down the road. Itachi, is the only person, in his mind, that can tear it all away in the blink of an eye.
Also, I believe that the family could only cover up a family secret for so long. Uchiha Madara was going to come back into play whether they thought so or not. I believe if it seems like its going to be impossible to escape, I believe that he will be able to break the evil chain that is the Uchiha Clan.
“My dreams, They are more like ambitions, because they will happen. I am going to restore my clan. But first, I have to kill a certain someone.”
[ + ].E N D.[ + ]
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Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:16 am
Sasuke and Orochimaru (Some SasuSaku Implied) ESSAY. By: SiretaInDisguise (KanaRenee)
On: Tue Mar 06, 2007 5:26 pm
To Comment, Post Here: http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=8119999SiretaInDisguise DO NOT READ IF YOU ARE NOT UP TO DATE WITH THE MANGA. I REPEAT DO NOT READ.Sasuke and Orochimaru—Who Will Survive? The biggest fear for Sasuke fans, Team 7 fans and SasuSaku fans now is that Sasuke’s been taken over by Orochimaru. Considering I’m a fan of all three, the same fear should be resounding through my head—but it’s not. Perhaps I’m far too optimistic, but when you take into consideration the main themes of the series and some statements of characters, it makes sense to believe he won’t be taken, or hasn’t been. I want to hit on a few main points, and this may be jumbled so I apologize. +Orochimaru After Body Transfer+ During the Sasuke retrieval arc, we saw Orochimaru go through with a body transfer to a sound nin. We didn’t view the actual transfer, but we did see the after affects of it. Not only was Kabuto present for the entire event, but Orochimaru post-transfer was layered in bandages, from head to ankle. http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/naruto_ch201_p16.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/naruto_ch201_p17.jpg According to the spoiler for the recent chapter, the Sasuke in the hall was not layered in bandages, not did he have any wounds which would suggest he’d need bandages. Considering Orochimaru is in the middle of a fight with Sasuke, and has already suffered some wounds from that fight, it wouldn’t be so far fetched to think he’d be in bandages right now. Actually, I’d expect him to be in bandages, or at least stuck in the room he was in awaiting Kabuto’s help. Add to the fact that we already know he’s sick/body is giving out, even with a container, Orochimaru shouldn’t be moving much at all, especially after a technique which is so seemingly strenuous. +Themes Part 1: Sakura and Naruto’s Dedication+ Now we move on to one of the themes of the Naruto manga itself—there are two I want to focus on specifically. The first one is going to be the overall resounding theme of Part Two. There are multiple themes in part 2, but the main theme is bringing Sasuke back to Konoha. Naruto left to train for two years for the sole purpose of retrieving Sasuke. Sakura went into tutelage under Tsunade in order to retrieve Sasuke. Naruto has made a promise of a lifetime to Sakura. Sakura has made a promise to Naruto, and both promises revolve around bringing Sasuke back. After the bell training and in the subsequent chapters afterward, we were given multiple pieces of evidence that the overall goal of both Sakura and Naruto was to bring Sasuke back. This goal hasn’t changed at all for either one of them. Since there is a picture limit, I can only focus on some of this with scan correspondence. The first one I want to mention is Sakura’s dedication to retrieving Sasuke; most of her proof came before anything of Naruto’s dedication came into canon.. Sakura went into training under Tsunade in order to become stronger so she can Naruto could bring Sasuke back together; the failure of both of them to make Sasuke stay in Konoha when they went about it on their own (which corresponds much with the Sannin story and legend—no one person is strong enough to overpower the other two) showed them both, I believe, that if they were going to get Sasuke back, they had to do it together—use the teamwork Kakashi had taught them, and focus their lives to bringing him back. If you’re not dedicated, you can’t do it. Post-timeskip Sakura is equipped with tons of skills she learned through some pretty laborious training—she has medical ninjutsu and inhumane strength rivaling Tsunade, an increasingly smart mind capable of controlling her outward emotions, and still has natural genjutsu skill. It has already been mentioned that she may/may have already surpassed Tsunade. The Sakura we knew pre-timeskip was nothing special; she was just breaking out of her self-set barriers and gaining the courage and mental stability needed to become a successful kunoichi. Out of all the original members of Team 7, she had grown the most. During the travel toward Sunagakure in order to help Kankuro and save Gaara, Sakura’s thoughts are solely on Akatsuki, and the way they are a link to Sasuke. We’re shown that she hasn’t just been training in those two years—she has been dedicated enough to getting Sasuke back that she’s been reading Tsunade’s notes and researching outside of her training as much as she possibly could. http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/naruto_ch252_p16.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/naruto_ch252_p17.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/naruto_ch252_p18.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/naruto_ch252_p19.jpg Besides just being centered around Sasuke, she did say she was going to save both Naruto and Sasuke—but for the point of this essay, I’m focusing on the fact that she did so much research. Sakura didn’t need to do this if all she wanted to do was become strong to find Sasuke—she went out of her way not only to train herself to find him, but to make sure she was prepared for what they could face when they did find him, and where they could start looking. That’s dedication. Her battle with Sasori also brought up clues. Sakura’s true strength during her battle with Sasori did not appear until she found out Sasori had connections to Orochimaru—just like she had predicted earlier (Akatsuki having connections to Orochimaru, who would have connections to Sasuke). She was, for lack of a better word, worried that she wasn’t skilled enough to fight him, and allowed Chiyo to take control of the battle and direct her. http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/naruto_ch267_p04.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/naruto_ch267_p05.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/naruto_ch267_p17.jpg After she realized what Sasori had the potentiality to know, Sakura was ready to fight. She had made a promise to Naruto, to help bring Sasuke back, and she had promised herself at the same time that she would be the one to save him (and Naruto). This was what gave her the power and will to fight Sasori—she wanted information, and quite obviously, she had been willing to give her life for it. Now lets skip ahead to the formation of Team Kakashi. It is here that we see the beginning of Naruto’s dedication to Sasuke, and Sakura’s ability to not only mask her emotions, but fool others. The moment itself is a testament of Naruto and Sakura’s joint dedication to Sasuke, but also shows us all just how important he was to Naruto—to the point that, even before Sai begins to badmouth him, Naruto wants no part of someone trying to take Sasuke’s place. In his heart, the only true fourth member of Team 7 is Sasuke—Team Kakashi is not going to be an exception, either. In Naruto’s mind, Sasuke should be there. http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/chapter286_05.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/chapter286_06.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/chapter286_07.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/chapter286_08.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/chapter286_09.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/chapter286_10.jpg Also in this scene we get another taste of Sakura’s violently strong dedication to Sasuke. It’s obvious, by this scene alone, that she’s been hiding a lot of feelings herself and is fiercely dedicated to Sasuke still. She’s willing to protect Naruto, and instead of allowing him to deal with the situation that’s aggravating her as well, she steps in and deals with it for him. The scene, if nothing else, proved to me that both Naruto and Sakura hadn’t given up on Sasuke, and wouldn’t deal with anyone who was willing to bad mouth him. If they hadn’t give up on him yet, then no one else should give up on him either. Naruto and Sakura both haven’t given up Sasuke’s position in their lives to anyone else. From this point on, I’m shifting over to Naruto’s dedication—with a few sparse moments of Sakura. Naruto showed us through his interactions with Sai that he had yet to give up on Sasuke, or to cut Sasuke out of his life. He and Sakura both, to begin with, are only willing to work with Sai for the sole purpose of bringing Sasuke back. They don’t like him, but they’re willing to deal with him if it means bringing Sasuke back to Konoha. When they meet with Orochimaru on the bridge, Naruto loses his self control. Using Sasuke’s name to taunt him, both Kabuto and Orochimaru manage to push Naruto over the edge. Just Sasuke’s name, and speaking of him as if he belongs to Orochimaru, is enough to erupt a rage in Naruto so strong he lets Kyuubi take control of him. This shows just how fiercely dedicated to Sasuke Naruto is—he may not have understood the possible outcome of himself pulling so much power from Kyuubi, but Naruto wanted to get Sasuke back, and he was going to do it by any way he could—even if it meant pulling power from the creature within him that made the village hate him in the first place. He had, effectively, become the monster they feared him to be—but he didn’t care, because this was for Sasuke. And I apologize for poor, poor quality of the scans associated with this. http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/v33_page_026_UK_ch291.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/v33_page_028-029_UK_ch291.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/v33_page_041_UK_ch291.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/v33_page_078-079_UK_ch293.jpg It isn’t until after he finds out about what he does in this form that Naruto decides not to draw on Kyuubi’s power—he’s hurting the people he cares about, and has the potential to kill them. He doesn’t want to hurt Sakura again—and if he was to go into 4-tailed Kyuubi form, what’s to say he won’t accidentally kill Sasuke when he’s trying to save him? Now I’m skipping far ahead to Naruto’s training with Kakashi. While Sakura submerses herself in books trying to find a reason for Sasuke’s impossible amount of strength, Naruto is off training so he has the power to stop him. We see the sadness in his eyes when he realizes that his strength with wind could be used to help Sasuke fight, and make them a great team—where as now he has to use it against Sasuke if he ever wants to get him back. The training Naruto subjects himself to here is tiring and exhausting, but he does it all with the goal in mind that he will develop something that will allow him to surpass or stop Sasuke, no matter what the costs. The level he’s at now isn’t enough. It’s this drive that keeps Naruto awake at night, and brings him to setting near impossible goals and performing beyond his body’s actual limit—to the point he’s almost incapable of movement before he stops to eat with Kakashi and Yamato. http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/Naruto2031920LQ_07.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/Naruto2031920LQ_13.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/Naruto2031920LQ_14.jpg http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/Naruto2031920LQ_16-170.jpg We also get a short shot of Sakura crying over the Team 7 photograph. Take this as you will, it still involves dedication to Sasuke. She misses the old days of Team 7 when Sasuke was still around; she wants those days back. She misses him. And she cries because, although they got close enough to touch him, they weren’t capable of bringing him back. After Team 10’s arc, and Naruto creating a new jutsu for their battle to find Sasuke, we get a short moment of Naruto and Sakura at the hospital which showed that they were far from giving up on Sasuke—Naruto reminded Sakura that the fact he’d created this jutsu made him feel that they were getting closer to bringing Sasuke back. What does this have to do with Sasuke not having his body taken over by Orochimaru? After all this training, and all this development, and both Sakura and Naruto failing twice to retrieve Sasuke, what would be the point in having Orochimaru take over his body? It would be yet another failure for both of them, and considering how focused they are on getting Sasuke back, I wonder if either one would be able to deal with it. +Foreshadowing by Kakashi-sensei+ Not too many chapters before, we saw Naruto seemingly surpassing Kakashi, and Kakashi admitting to this. Kakuzu, who had been adamant in his belief that battle experience and knowledge outweighs that of a young body and fresh mind, lays beaten on the ground. Kakashi still isn’t 20 and he’s already been surpassed—and in essence, to a point, Naruto’s also surpassed Yondaime (who never managed to apply wind elements to his rasengan). http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/008.jpg Kakashi states that the ‘The next generation will always surpass the last. It’s one of those things you can always rely on happening.’ Sakura was the first one who was stated to have the ability/may have already surpassed her teacher, Tsunade. Next was Naruto surpassing Kakashi (and possibly Yondaime). Is it that far of a stretch to think this line was mean to extend to Sasuke as well? It came one chapter before we saw Sasuke again, and two chapters before he betrayed Orochimaru and stated that Orochimaru was weaker than him. Sasuke surpassing Orochimaru? If Sakura has the power/could have already surpassed Tsunade, considering she was the weakest link in her team before, I wouldn’t doubt Sasuke’s skills. He was the most skilled in his genin team (and in the academy), after all. If the weakest can surpass a sannin, why can’t the strongest as well? You could also apply Kakashi’s statement to the sannin and their pupils. To surpass the sannin would also involve succeeding where they did not. Tsunade and Jiraiya gave up on Orochimaru, and Orochimaru lost himself in the darkness. Sakura and Naruto never gave up on Sasuke, and he in affect doesn’t appear to have completely lost himself yet. +Themes Part 2: Naruto and Becoming Hokage+ I left this point for last because I’m going to use it to tie in everything else. The overall theme and goal of Naruto is “being accepted”, and Naruto wants to do that by becoming Hokage. It’s been his goal, and he’s been stating it on and off throughout the series from the very beginning. However, in Part 2, it hasn’t been mentioned nearly as much as it was in Part 1. Naruto mentioned it when he found out Gaara had become Kazekage. The next time his goal was mentioned was during the reunion with Sasuke. After Sasuke had come down from his perch above Team Kakashi, he continued to state that he would kill Naruto on a whim—and then mentioned that his goal was to become Hokage, telling him that instead of searching for him he should have been training to reach his goal—which, in a way, almost sounds like he was asking Naruto to stop so they could both go after their personal goals. Naruto’s response is what makes this so poignant. http://i3.photobucket.com/albums/y81/SiretaInDisguise/Naruto Manga/Naruto_v34_ch307_p17.jpg “As if someone who can’t even save a friend could become Hokage.” Naruto’s ultimate goal is to become Hokage, and he’s weighing this on if he can save Sasuke or not. The friend he needs to save is Sasuke—no one else is in trouble, and no one else has been his driving force all this time. It’s always been Sasuke. In Naruto’s mind, if he can’t save Sasuke, then he can’t become Hokage. If Orochimaru is to take over Sasuke’s body, Sasuke will die. It is the ultimate failure, and that’s why Naruto and Sakura have been so adamantly trying to get him back—it’s why they keep talking about the time limit they have to rescue him. If they fail at this point, Sasuke will not becoming back. There won’t be any amazing ‘Sakura uses medical ninjutsu to save Sasuke from Orochimaru’. There isn’t going to be a miracle technique like the one Chiyo used. All of the training and preparation Sakura and Naruto have done thus far will have been in vain. They will become a broken team, and fail to uphold a lot of the things they’ve been so far—the Sannin parallelism (succeeding where their predecessors failed) and the power of bonds, for example. Sasuke is at the heart of Team 7, and they have yet to give up on him—but a body transfer would prove all their attempts are fruitless. They’ve already failed twice. Why should they fail a third time? Kakashi’s line about the ‘new generation surpassing the first’ should be thought about quite literally. Team 7, thus far, has been surpassing the Sannin on a level of relationship strength, personal strengths, and acceptance in their roles—and now they’re at the point where they’re starting to surpass them on a level of skill. Why destroy that by letting Sasuke die at the hands of Orochimaru? That leaves his goals unfulfilled. It keeps Naruto from becoming Hokage, and more than likely, would crush Sakura. With all the things that are already canon in the series being destroyed if this would happen, don’t you think it’s unlikely that it will come to that?
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Posted: Wed Jun 27, 2007 3:18 am
Essay: Sakura's Gradual Understanding of Sasuke (Part one of Manga) By: akamai_hi
On: Tue Jun 26, 2007 11:22 am
To Comment, Post Here: http://www.gaiaonline.com/guilds/viewtopic.php?t=9518847akamai_hi This is my first topic (yay!). This is for a rare argument (at least I think it's rare) that Sakura doesn't understand Sasuke and should leave him alone and that's not the case. So while desperately waiting for some SasuSaku in the manga, I wrote something on it. XD
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It was gradual. Just like her feelings for Sasuke and her complete acceptance of Naruto, Sakura's understanding of Sasuke was gradual. Of course, in the beginning of the manga Sakura does not understand Sasuke at all. She rambles on to Sasuke about how Naruto is lucky to have no parents to yell at him without realizing that she is talking to someone who is lonely, and has no parents. Sakura, being the smart girl she is, did not take this into consideration. Although Sasuke scolds her for this by telling her that she is annoying, Sakura only thinks that she should try to be nicer to Naruto. This is a good thing, but Sakura still does not see how painful it is for Sasuke to be alone, which she will realize later in the manga. Upon hearing Sasuke's ambition it had no negative effect on Sakura. When Sasuke mentions his ambition to team seven when they introduce themselves to Kakashi, Sakura blushes and just thinks that he's so cool. Basically at this point in the story, Sakura sees right past Sasuke's statement about wanting to kill someone, and admires him for it.
When the bell test is conducted, Sakura can't seem to get any bells and worries that she might be separated from Sasuke. So because she is being selfish at the time, by telling Sasuke to try better next time (obviously so they can both fail together) Sasuke seems agitated for a brief moment, but tells Sakura about his goal of killing "that man" once more. This time he mentions that he was crying, which confuses Sakura immensely and she thinks back to when Sasuke first mentioned that he wanted to kill a certain man. Although Sakura does not know who this man is and why he should be killed, at this point Sakura seems to understand that Sasuke's ambition is serious, and not something to fangirl over.
During the Wave Country Arc while Naruto and Sasuke fight against Haku Sakura is sure that Sasuke won't be beaten by Haku. However she is proved wrong when Sasuke "dies" on the bridge. Here she probably realized that Sasuke is not invincible; he cannot win every fight. Sakura also may have realized this as well when he lost to Lee before the written test. At the end of that fight when Naruto insults the Uchiha clan because Sasuke lost Sasuke clenches his fists and Sakura looks concerned. Here she probably learned how prideful he is of his clan.
When Sasuke compliments Sakura before the Chuunin exam starts, Sakura learns that Sasuke is not completely heartless. Of course she didn't think that before, but it's something good for her to think back to when Sasuke doing something good seems impossible.
Much more of Sakura's understanding of Sasuke comes during the Forest of Death part of the Chuunin exam. Here is another instance of Sakura realizing that Sasuke is not perfect. Not only does she know that he had a time of crying, but she compares him to Naruto when he gets scared and calls him a coward. When Sasuke gets the cursed seal from Orochimaru, Orochimaru says with certainty that Sasuke will seek him for power, something that will haunt Sakura in many chapters to come. Sasuke also becomes weak, and Sakura protects him and Naruto. Note that up to this point in the manga notice that Sasuke admitting to crying at a time and losing fights does not make Sakura think any less of him.
When Sasuke gains consciousness and uses his new cursed seal for the first time. He talks about how he must gain power as an avenger, no matter what it takes. While he fights the Sound nins for hurting Sakura, Sakura, with a tear in her eye, thinks about Orochimaru’s parting words. It is here when she first sees that Sasuke would do anything to get his revenge, even if he accepts power that makes him a monster. After she calms Sasuke down by embracing him Sakura becomes angry and asks the Sound nins who Orochimaru is, why he wants Sasuke, and what he did to Sasuke. She doesn't know exactly what's going on, but she already wants to know everything about Orochimaru's plan with Sasuke because she sees a possibility of him leaving for Orochimaru already. Before Naruto gains consciousness as well, Sasuke makes Sakura promise not to tell him about the cursed seal. However, when the team is in the tower after completing the Forest of Death Sakura threatens to tell someone about the mark. "I can see it! You've been hiding the pain all this time! ...I don't want to see you suffering anymore." Sakura was paying close attention to Sasuke, and notices no matter how strong he tries to act, he still feels the pain. She sees through the facade he puts up. Sasuke tells Sakura that he's an avenger once again and that the Chuunin exam isn't just a test to him; he wants to know that he's strong. Sakura becomes silent again, but it gives her something to think about.
At times, despite Sasuke being with team seven, Sakura just knows that Sasuke is going to leave someday. When she and Ino plan to visit him in the hospital and he's not there, Sakura thinks about Orochimaru's parting words and considers the possibility of Sasuke already being gone. When Sasuke's fight against Gaara during the exam comes up and he is not there Sakura thinks, “As I thought…he’s not here yet…” Later in the series after Sasuke and Naruto get into a fight, Sasuke's actions make Sakura concerned that Sasuke will leave. She tells Naruto about Orochimaru and Sasuke and his cursed seal. Although Naruto reassures her that Sasuke won't go to Orochimaru, Sakura still goes to try and stop Sasuke from leaving because she's sure he will leave Konoha.
When Sakura confronts Sasuke, she tells him that revenge won’t make him or her happy, which is a drastic change from thinking that his ambition to kill a man was “cool.” And when Sasuke is leaving she asks him if he really wants to go back to being alone. She remembers when he told her the pain of being alone when she didn't understand it, and now she knows that pain as he leaves. She tells him that if he leaves she will be just as alone as him, causing Sasuke to think about her and Naruto. Sakura understands that she and Naruto became close to Sasuke and tries to make him remember what he taught her—that it is not good to be alone. And although Sakura knows and says herself that his revenge won’t make them happy, she offers to help him because not only does she know that it’s the most important thing to him, but she wants to be with him no matter what. Sakura knows how important Sasuke’s family is to him, and she's willing to help avenge them.
SasuSaku forever!! heart
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Posted: Thu Sep 27, 2007 9:25 pm
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Posted: Wed Feb 13, 2008 6:25 pm
Here's a quote from and interview with Kishimoto-sama from a Naruto collector's volume from summer 07. SJ has gotten into the whole unanswered luv thing, and here's the short of it.
SJ- "We're really hoping that Hinata gets her chance."
Kishimoto- "Me too."
It is more like NaruHina proof, but if they end up together, chances r that Sasuke and Sakura will 2! ^^
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