Naruto Chapter 699 – “Shinobi”

This chapter took me a journey through Sasuke’s heart and allowed me to open up and gain a deeper appreciation for Sasuke as a character

It is quite unbelievable but prior to this chapter I was feeling detached and uninspired by the way Naruto was concluding and how the Naruto and Sasuke battle fitted in with the rest of the story, but just through this chapter, all those mixed emotions I had concerning the end of the Naruto came together and connected. This chapter dispelled the confusion I had towards the way Naruto was ending and put me in a state of mind where I could do nothing else but love the way Naruto was concluding. Sasuke expressing his true feelings was definitely the highlight for this chapter for me, it revealed a whole new dimension to his character I had never seen before and I found myself loving how he came around full circle again after his journey through the story of Naruto.

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Naruto Chapter 698 – The Fated Battle: Naruto

With everything they have, they collide

One really does have to admire Naruto’s determination and guts to never stay down and give up, despite a situation seeming improbable and hopelessly devoid of any hope, he still manages to back himself and commit himself to the decision he has made. And through that belief he has in himself, he ultimately does find a path forward. Life itself can be filled with such despair that in those moments you can’t help but feel empty, numb and just plain depressed, so I have always seen Naruto’s ability to rise above his worries and continue forward with such energy as inspiring. Naruto grew up in tragic circumstances, but the way in which he embraced the situation instead of having it consume him has been one of the qualities in Naruto that I have truly admired. I guess deep down Sasuke also respected such qualities in Naruto and came to connect with him.

Naruto Chapter 697 – The Fated Battle: Sasuke

Farewell my one and only friend – colour by HikariNoGiri

I am going to be honest here, but I seriously can’t come to like this battle, be it because it is a battle between friends or just because it feels so dam forced or both, I really am not enjoying it. I would have enjoyed it much more if the final antagonist of the series was the Shinju and the Naruto and Sasuke conflict was settled much earlier. The Naruto and Sasuke battle may have been fated, but relative to the weight the Shinju fight held, this battle feels so weak and forgettable. It doesn’t feel like it connects with the rest of the story, I just can’t help but feel that it is only included in the story because Kishimoto-sensei forced it in rather than it arising naturally through the flow of the story.

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Naruto Chapter 696 – The Fated Battle: Loneliness

Does he really believe he can save the world by destroying himself?

Sasuke truly was deeply scared by the mechanisations of the Shinobi villages built upon the fear of war and desire for power. Itachi had to bear such a burden, but it was through Itachi’s sacrifice and him being abused by Konoha did Sasuke come to see the consequence of nations being left to operate on their own. In order to prevent another person from suffering the way he did, Sasuke intends to cast himself back into the darkness of loneliness, all the while manipulating the Shinobi nations from conflicting with each other by directing all their hatred and grudges to himself, and he intends to bear with it for eternity.

Naruto Chapter 695 – The Fated Battle: Friends

These feelings through their fist

Despite Sasuke understanding Naruto’s feelings for wanting to stop him from returning to darkness and being alone, does the revolution Sasuke envision really mean that much to him that he is willing to ignore both Naruto and his feelings and ultimately discard them? Sasuke doesn’t seem to be taking enjoyment in doing it, but he is willing to kill his own heart in order to fulfil what he believes to be the path to becoming the “true” Hokage and creating a present free from the conflicts and suffering of the past. It is quite tragic that such good friends have to face each other in such a situation because their desires in wanting to create a peaceful world stem from differing and colliding methods.

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Naruto Chapter 693-694 – The Fated Battle: Hokage

The fated battle finally begins… – colour by Desorienter

Beyond the madness that has gotten a hold of Sasuke and twisted his perception of the world and what he deems “necessary”, there is some logic to the method he has proposed in bringing about a revolution for the shinobi world. Regardless of Sasuke only focusing on the negatives the current shinobi model has brought about, centralising evil onto oneself in order to unite a world does hold a certain potential to reduce conflict, but at the same time it also opens the gates of uncertainty and insanity. Does Sasuke really believe that inducing negativity in others and having it directed at himself will truly save the world and lead it to lasting peace? Just like Madara and Kaguya, Sasuke fails to see the overarching effects his actions will have on the individual and the world they will perceive themselves living in.

Naruto Chapter 692 – Sasuke’s Revolution

The inevitable battle between Sasuke and Naruto begins – colour by DEOHVI

I suppose it was fated for the Naruto vs Sasuke conflict to be the climatic event of the series and thanks to this chapter such a scenario has been set-up. Honestly, while I had expected it, after all the developments Sasuke had gone through after meeting Itachi and realising that revenge isn’t the path that will lead to a positive end, I began to think Sasuke was starting to redeem himself and open his eyes to the actuality of the world and suffering. Apparently though, I was wrong, even after meeting Itachi and hearing him out, Sasuke still intends to fuel destruction by destroying the shinobi system, which includes taking out all five of the Kages. All I can say is I am disappoint Sasuke.

Naruto Chapter 691 – The End Of The War

Happy 17th Birthday Naruto!

So it seems official, the fourth Shinobi War has ended. With the congratulations and emotional farewells taking place this chapter, it seems hard for Kishimoto-sensei to twist it into a new development of an antagonist returning or a new one appearing, especially after the thoughtful message Naruto left with his dad to pass on to his mother. The mirroring against Kushina’s message to Naruto in chapter 504 was fantastic, Kushina is so going to bawl her eyes dry when she hears what Naruto wants to tell her – what an awesome family.

Naruto Chapter 690 – Kaguya Sealed

Kaguya, along with the Shinju, are sealed inside the Chibaku Tensei seal

Now that Kaguya has been sealed with the Chibaku Tensei jutsu, I am left confused about her purpose in the story and the role she ended up serving. Why did she even need so much chakra in the end? And most importantly, where does the Shinju fit in all of this? Was it the Shinju controlling Kaguya, in order to gather all chakra in one point, or was it actually Kaguya controlling herself (and the Shinju chakra), intending to gather chakra to end humanity? Without knowing the circumstances that forced Kaguya to act in the way she did, I can’t understand the role she was meant to serve in the story =/.

Naruto Chapter 689 – Team 7 VS Kaguya

So much can happen in the span of a second…

That was quite the exhilarating battle which featured all the members of Team 7 (save Sai) in one way or another in trying to successfully immobilize Kaguya to begin sealing her. Despite Kaguya’s best attempts in trying to slither away from the barrage of attacks and counter attacks, everything she defended and attacked with was just unable to stop the strength of Konoha’s team 7. With her on the edge of being sealed, will she be able to get herself out of this situation or is this really the end of Kaguya? And what about the Shinju, when will it finally show up in its true complete form?

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