Naruto x 693 Review: Once Again

This week’s mange issue of Naruto was all about setting things up for the final battle between the lead protagonist and Sasuke. There were some surprises in the chapter and I’m really looking forward to seeing how Naruto will be able to persuade Sasuke to come to the good side. Will Sasuke accept the invitation?

With all the tailed-beasts trapped in Sasuke’s jutsu, he was ready to take out Naruto, the jinchurriki of all the beasts. I wasn’t expecting Sasuke to suggest the two go to the place where they had their battle back in Part I. I guess Kishimoto wanted to bring back the nostalgia factor in full force.

I was waiting for Sakura or Kakashi to do something, but Kishimoto made sure the two didn’t interfere in the battle, at least not yet. Kakashi was too weak to move after the loss of his Sharingans, and Sakura went on to cry in front of Sasuke and begged him to stay. Her whole scene was reminiscent of how she tried to stop him back in Part I but ended up unconscious. This time around, Sasuke used genjutsu to subdue Sakura and ensure she won’t interfere. The panel where he attacked Sakura really surprised me. It looked as if he put his arm right through her heart. For a second I thought she was gravely injured and it was going to send Naruto into rampage mode. Sakura has always been the under-utilized female lead of the series. She has had some impressive panels but her overall impact hasn’t been what it could have. I hope Kishimoto doesn’t let her sleep in the genjutsu throughout the battle and she actually does something useful before the series ends.

There was also talk about the Sage of the Six Paths being the cause of the war that spanned centuries. He decided to give all his powers to his youngest son and it lead the eldest to hate his sibling. The same hatred also caused Madara and Hashirama to fight each other. The Sage gave powers to both Naruto and Sasuke in hopes of a different outcome, but the two still ended up fighting each other. I think the outcome will be different this time. However, I still have my fingers crossed for a scene where Naruto ends up killing Sasuke for his own good. Having Sasuke come to the good side would be a disservice to his character. He needs to go down believing in his principles. I’m really interested in knowing why he wants to become Hokage and how his definition of the title differs from Naruto’s.

With the Sage of the Six Paths still with Kakashi and a sleeping Sakura, I think there’s a slight chance those two might end up playing an important role in the final battle. As for the fight between Naruto and Sasuke, I’m definitely excited to see them attack each other.

Did you read this week’s manga chapter of Naruto? Do you think Sasuke will be able to defeat Naruto like last time? Let us know!

Author: Farid-ul-Haq

Farid has a Double Masters in Psychology and Biotechnology as well as an M.Phil in Molecular Genetics. He is the author of numerous books including Missing in Somerville, and The Game Master of Somerville. He gives us insight into comics, books, TV shows, anime/manga, video games, and movies.

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