Re: Joint Naruto review: The Weakness of Despair
Impressions
I thought that the chapter was all in all pretty average, due in no small part to it's predictable nature. Madara continues to drive the 5 Kage to the brink of despair with new, more terrifying Mokuton, much to the dismay of many a reader (to be the pinnacle of Uchiha strength, he's sure not relying on many Uchiha techniques). Kishimoto has convinced us that Kabuto has some kind of plan to stand up to two Mangekyou Sharingan wielders which could lead to an impressive fight; something we've all been wanting to see from Kabuto since he revealed himself as a major player in this war. Edo Tensei was indeed impressive, but nobody likes a one-trick pony.
Though the chapter itself didn't do much outside of foreshadowing Itachi's demise via Kabuto's calm facade and the dying crow at the beginning of the chapter, it did set things up for a fight that has the potential to end the Edo Tensei fiasco (which honestly isn't that bad, considering almost all the Edo Tensei ninja are sealed away by this point), making it an important battle.
Sasuke's behavior was refreshing this chapter. This was the first time in Part 2 that someone has attempted to manipulate his mind for the sake of their own gain, only for him to overcome it. Infact he seemed to have shed his holier-than-thou attitude for the most part, if only for this chapter. He seemed to be earnestly concerned with getting answers from his brother rather than killing Kabuto. Whether his emotions get the better of him and he kills him in a rage induced stupor, or we get a heart-to-heart with the brothers soon should change Sasuke's outlook.
His brother however was all fanservice this chapter. Which was good, as that's the sole purpose of Edo Tensei in the first place. To bring back familiar faces for us to fawn over. Many a reader got excited by him proclaiming that all jutsu have a weakness, and that he was Edo Tensei's weakness and for good reason. Itachi is revered as a calm, analytical, strategic genius type of fighter by fans and characters alike, so when he claims he'll find a weakness, we believe it. Infact if he wasn't obligated to lose due to plot necessity there likely would be no question as to how he manages to stop Edo Tensei (especially considering his proficiency with Genjutsu).
Which brings me to my impression of Kabuto's performance in the chapter: I'm not sold yet. His chuckling and cool, collected demeanor has many a reader believing he's in his comfort zone; that he's perfectly prepared to make light of two Mangekyou Sharingan (one if which being wielded by an immortal). We are to believe that Kabuto is strong enough to defeat both Sasuke and Itachi, but this flies in the face of previously displayed feats by all three of these ninja. It's not farfetched to assume that Kabuto is simply putting on a front and actually isn't capable of any genuine threat here. He could very well have some anti-Genjutsu abilities or failsafe installed into Itachi's body to prevent him from attacking him, but I don't expect any direct hand to hand confrontation or clash of powerful techniques.
I get the impression that he is only giddy about the upcoming scuffle between he and the Uchiha brothers because of some secret that he expects to give him an edge. Yes, trickery and sleight of hand will be the name of the game in the upcoming fight. Which is fine, considering those are the best types of battles in Naruto. It will be a refreshing detour from meteors, giant energy beams ala Kamehameha, and battlefield-razing wood release jutsu.
Speaking of wood jutsu, Madara, despite the boring nature of the fight with the 5 Kage, still continues to dominate with his Mokuton usage which, once again, is getting old. Kishimoto wants to drive home the sense of despair by putting the 5 Kage in a situation they seemingly can't overcome, even with the inherited Will of Fire. While doing so, he continues to play up Hashirama Senju's strength by only showing us more Mokuton. Which in theory isn't bad... it's just too much. He has solidified Madara in our minds as the Big Bad, the guy you do not want to cross. He's solidified Hashirama as the strongest ninja for generations; someone to be feared. Now it's time to show us why the current Kage are the leaders of their respective villages. Turning the supposed strongest ninja in the world into fodder leaves a bad taste in my mouth, and the fact that we've all come to expect no casualties in this war makes the jobbing they're getting from Madara seem even less important. We don't need to see Madara thrash them anymore. We need to see the Kage's do something, or at the very least get some sort of revelation about Madara's past during the fight.
Predictions
I'm of the opinion that the next chapter will focus mainly on Itachi and Sasuke again, as Itachi has already activated his Mangekyou Sharingan, and Kabuto has begun summoning snakes, signifying the start of the fight. The fight is underway, so even if it cuts back to Madara vs. the 5 Kage we'll atleast see the beginning of the battle. I expect Kabuto to continue trying to drive a wedge between the two brothers, resulting in conflicted emotions from Sasuke that may force him to turn on his brother. Afterall, Edo Tensei is all that's keeping Itachi's undead body alive. The cancellation of the jutsu should result in his death, meaning he is lying to Sasuke about talking to him to recieve his aid. For Itachi to betray Sasuke again despite all that's happened would be the finisher; the event that pushes him so far that the small bit of restraint he's shown thus far is thrown out the window.
I don't expect to see Naruto vs. Tobi yet, as it's easily the most important fight of the three going on right now, and needs to be focused on without jumping back and forth. Still, Edo Tensei can't be negated too quickly, as Tobi and Kabuto are in a rough situation as it is already, and losing Edo Madara will be the killing blow that leaves Tobi and Kabuto with no real military strength. I doubt we'll see Kabuto's trump card just yet though.
That's all I got so far. So... yeah. Trying to think of some padding to lengthen it.
EDIT: Oh. Now it looks longer than it did in wordpad, lol.
