#naruto analysis

[watermelonsloth]

I think the reason why Naruto fans get so passionate and upset about the series is because of how real it can be. Naruto isn’t about paragon heroes outdoing dastardly villains. It’s about human beings fighting tooth and nail to survive in a world surrounded by death. It’s about broken systems made and perpetuated by broken people.

The Hyuga clan isn’t just antagonistic or pretentious, they practice slavery.

The Uchiha clan weren’t just killed by some raging psychopath, they were systematically massacred.

Itachi isn’t just cruel to Sasuke because he’s a bad brother, he’s cruel because he’d been told time and time again that you can only survive by being cruel and he wants nothing more than for Sasuke to survive.

Nagato isn’t trying to take over the world just for the sake of power, he’s trying to take over the world because it beat him down to the point of believing that the only chance at peace there is is the world being forced into compliance through fear.

Iruka isn’t hard on Naruto just because he’s a strict teacher, he’s hard on Naruto because he knows from experience how unforgiving the world is towards orphans.

Kakashi isn’t just some silly and slightly lazy teacher, he’s a contract killer still grieving his loved ones and struggling to do better without knowing how he’s supposed to.

Sakura isn’t just a fangirl, she’s a normal girl in a very dangerous and abnormal world constantly being made to choose between what she’s supposed to do and what she feels.

Sasuke isn’t just some edgelord, he’s a survivor who lost everything then gets repeatedly told that he has to choose between keeping what he’s gained and doing better than his brother.

Naruto isn’t just trying to be the best Hokage there ever was, he’s trying to prove his worth to a society that abandoned him just for existing and, in a way, confirm his worth to himself.

The Naruto story is about humans trying to force themselves into the role of weapons because that’s what they were told they had to be. It’s a story where everyone is a perpetrator but no one is trying to do wrong. It’s a story where everyone is a victim but no one is a perfect victim.

The world and the characters aren’t simple and trying to simplify them only takes away from them. So of course we get passionate about showing off all the reasons why they shouldn’t be simplified and all of the ways they’re complicated. Of course we get upset when we see others simplifying them or selling certain aspects of their characters short. Of course we get upset when the series itself simplifies them. Of course we get upset when the series chooses to abandon them. Because it not only feels like the characters are giving up, it feels like the series is betraying anyone who chose to get invested in its complexities.

#If you ever wondered why I can’t bring myself to really hate any Naruto character #This is why #They’re all trying their best (mostly) #naruto #naruto classic #naruto shippuden #analysis #naruto analysis #fandom analysis #sorta #naruto uzumaki #sakura haruno #sasuke uchiha #kakashi hatake #iruka umino #nagato uzumaki #itachi uchiha #every once in a while I remember why I like this series #and I remember why I think Kishimoto is capable of being a good writer #more serious than usual #my stooff #slight #rambling #anti naruto ending #anti kishimoto #Edit: I worded something wrong

[skykashi]

Alright, headcanon's time XD We know that Kakashi likes to honor his precious ppl by adopting some of their habits, right?

Now let's take a look at Pakkun's fur pattern and Kakashi's mask

Kakashi has a strong bond with his Ninken especially Pakkun that he bluntly stated that he's his favorite Ninken, they were together since Kakashi was a child so what if little Kakashi decided to wear a mask imitating Pakkun's fur pattern too? 😁

#naruto #kakashi #kakashi hatake #hatake kakashi #naruto shippuden #kakashi sensei #team 7 naruto #pakkun #ninken #kakashi's ninken #naruto team 7 #kid kakashi #meta: naruto #naruto meta #naruto analysis #team minato #obito #uchiha obito #obito uchiha #nohara rin #rin nohara #namikaze minato #minato namizake #rokudaime hokage #rokudaime #rokudaime kakashi #hokage kakashi #kakashihatake #sukea

[twomiddlefingersforthehaters]

Sasuke is a great example of a character who had this amazing ability of his observation skills. (I'm not talking about how attentively he analyzes his enemies during battles)

When Kakashi tells them not to worry about any danger since this is only a C-rank mission, but only Sasuke notices that something is off with Tazuna's behavior.

Sasuke suspected that Sakura was acting strange when she said 'good morning' with some hesitation. Sakura was really depressed about the chuunin exam because she felt useless compared to Naruto and Sasuke and didn't think she was good enough or skilled enough. Sasuke was the only person who noticed that Sakura wasn't acting like her usual self or something off about her behavior, while Naruto was completely unaware of this.

Sasuke can recognize Naruto without even talking to him. Sasuke was sitting somewhere far behind Naruto, yet he could notice that Naruto getting freaked out without seeing his face.

Sasuke can immediately find the fake Naruto. This shows that Sasuke is very obervent towards Naruto's appearance and his fighting skills (the way he dodges attacks). Sasuke quickly noticed that it was a fake Naruto coming towards them, but Sakura didn't notice.

It happens twice under completely different circumstances. And yet, Sasuke knows without a doubt who is the real Naruto and who isn't.

Sasuke was the only one who felt something was off about Kabuto, but Naruto and Sakura didn't notice as they accepted and trusted him.

Sasuke can tell Naruto's mood just by looking at him. He saying himself 'this is not how Naruto usually fight. (Naruto was literally confused on how to save his friends from the much stronger Gaara)

After seeing his fight with Gaara Now he knows the usual Naruto is back.

No one realized how selfish she is, but Sasuke did. Sakura started talking about 'this revenge won't make you happy...nor me', and making it all about herself and her feelings. The moment he hears this, he uses the word 'yappari'. Yappari means "just like I thought", "I knew it", "As I suspected".やっぱり(yappari) uses to expresses the fact that your assumptions and predictions are proven correct. It also means that you are not surprised.

Sasuke calls Naruto 'Usuratonkachi' in Part 1 and at the end of Part 2. It wasn't a word that Sasuke had made up on his own….he had heard it from Naruto and started calling him by that name, creating his own meaning from it.

Sasuke was observant enough to listen intently to the nonsense Naruto spewed out at the age of 8 and began to make it his own….despite suffering a tragedy and consumed with hatred and revenge……

#sasuke uchiha #naruto manga #naruto analysis #my stuff

[sasukesun]

something about having tattoos on your hands that symbolise how you are connected by fate in an endless fight and something about blowing up those hands specifically when you reconcile because you are different from those who came before you and you defied fate because the love you feel for each other is much bigger than that. makes you think.

#narusasu #sns #sasunaru #naruto #sasuke #uzumaki naruto #uchiha sasuke #sun & moon #naruto analysis #naruto textpost #bella.txt

[mostly-just-sasuke-blog]

The conversation around Sasuke leaving Konoha needs to change. It's true that the in-story narrative by those who don't know Sasuke is that he is a traitor that betrayed Konoha. Unfortunately, too many in the fandom take this narrative at face value. But neither Naruto or Sakura endorse this view. Although they are confused by Sasuke's choice they both know Sasuke too well.

People talk about Sasuke choosing to leave Konoha...

But no one talks about how Itachi told Sasuke he'd come back to kill him someday. And Sasuke had very good reason to think that Itachi would target anyone Sasuke got close to.

Or how about how the curse seal would have killed Sasuke if it wasn't fully activated?

Or how Orochimaru made it clear he wasn't going to stop pursuing Sasuke? How long do you think it would have been till his patience ran out and he got tired of asking nicely?

Or how about the fact that he was found and targeted while he was in the village. The village couldn't protect him. Kakashi couldn't protect him. It's even the whole reason Naruto left to train, because the village wasn't safe enough. Naruto had people looking out for him. But Sasuke didn't. He is targeted multiple times and the village didn't take any action to protect him.

Yeah, Sasuke did make a choice. The right choice. He made the best choice he could make under the circumstances and no one-- not konoha, not Naruto, not Sakura--no one was hurt more by Sasuke's choice than it hurt Sasuke to make the choice to leave and live with one of his abusers. Yet he was the only person who offered to do anything to help him deal with his other abuser. It was horrible that Sasuke had to put himself through this second trauma... And yet the fandom has the audacity to make Sasuke's trauma about Naruto?? Or about Sakura?? Sometimes it really seems like no one in this fandom gives a crap about Sasuke unless it's to prop up their stupid ships. The fandom literally treats Sasuke like crap. Sasuke didn't leave because he wanted to. He wasn't being selfish or greedy. He just took stock of his situation and made the most viable choice he had. He wasn't happy that it was. He was willing to die for Naruto and Sakura. He valued them more than than his own life. Of course he wanted to stay. But he couldn't.

Ironically the fandom has compassion for Itachi for doing what he felt like he had to do, even though he actually killed people, and when he torments Sasuke, of course even then people actually focus on Itachi. But Sasuke did something that incidentally hurt Naruto and Sakura, do he's a selfish traitor. Sasuke didn't owe Naruto or Sakura. Yes, we see Naruto cared about Sasuke, but to Sasuke's face Naruto had treated him like he was a rival he wanted to overcome more than as a friend. And Sakura? He never started a relationship with Sakura. He may have felt guilty because he was abandoning his duty to Konoha.... the irony.

Sasuke lost everything once, and then he lost everything again when he was forced to leave it all behind. And it killed him. That Sasuke, the part one Sasuke who sometimes acted his age, he died. Sasuke killed him, so he could survive. It was yet another traumatic experience in his life.

That's the conversation we should be having about Sasuke leaving.

#team 7 #sakura #naruto ramblings #naruto analysis #itachi #uchiha clan #uzumaki naruto #naruto #naruto fandom #sasuke #pro sasuke #sasuke deserves better #sasuke deserved better #Maybe if Konoha had actually taken his situation seriously and protected him too and not just Naruto he wouldn't have left #Ever think of that #Don't make Sasuke's trauma about everyone else

[sassykinzonline]

when people talk about naruto's repression they kind of miss a crucial element which is that it actually makes complete sense.

firstly from the power perspective, simply put, by its very nature he requires repression to function on a most basic level. this is opposite to the sharingan, which thrives on huge displays of emotion. im going to assume that the reason this is missed is because it runs counter to the personality traits each character is known for: the "emotionless, calm and cool" one actually is constantly accessing and expressing the most powerful of emotions, and the "expressive, empathetic and emotionally honest" one is actually warring with letting true emotions come to the surface. comparatively, when you look at starfire and raven from teen titans, you see that their personalities reflect their power. starfire is bright and expressive because thats how she best accesses her powers, and raven is subdued, controlled and calculated in order to control her powers. this means that contrary to popular belief, naruto isnt starfire-- naruto is raven. there are actually a few moments where you are subtly shown just how calculated naruto's displays of emotion are, and how they are reinforced in such a way (context is naruto being saddened that his request for parental affection was rebuffed):

which brings me to my second point: socialization. this part is straightforward. from itachi actively causing and incentivizing hatred and anger, to various mentors/people of influence (eg. kakashi) remaining silent at clear expressions of violent anger-- these negative emotions are not punished or discouraged when it come to the context theyre in. why? they are beneficial to the agenda of various characters. the revenge plot only starts being punished when its disadvantageous to the state. remember that there is a monetary value attached to the murder of itachi uchiha, and this is actually a common way to earn money. when you look at naruto, there is never a single instance when naruto is encouraged or even tolerated for having these emotions. the only exception who does this leaves him due to their own parallel struggle (side note: this is why naruto distinctly says the reason for his obsession is that this person accepted him more than anyone else, given this person is the only one who saw naruto's pain and anger and actually blamed his aggressors for it). naruto, raised implicitly to know that everyone seeks to be a tool of the state, and that in his case this is not just a choice but a requirement for his humanity. iruka's acknowledgment of naruto comes with an indication of possession, implying conditionality. people like kakashi, hiruzen, and others in positions of influence witness the abuse he faces, and ignore it or groom him into accepting the idea that he should appeal to his abusers for eventual acceptance. naruto meets gaara, someone with the same condition as him, but with radically different circumstances. whereas naruto's condition symbolically papers over his pain over time, gaara's is self-protective and defensive against his pain. gaara also occupies a position of power as the member of a royal family, and has siblings who are afraid of him but do hold some level of affection towards him. gaara's feelings of loneliness, while rational, come from a different place than naruto's. for gaara, he is surrounded by community that he doesnt know how to access. naruto has no community, he needs to find a way to forge one, but even when he does it is superficial. this dynamic is repeated in his introduction to killer bee, who from an early age is granted family and institutional protection. this isnt to say that the treatment of jinchuriki is ethical or healthy, but that naruto's situation is actually uniquely oppressive. kushina is the closest naruto gets to someone who validates this pain, but she cannot truly relate to him because she is never cripplingly alone (again, not to say her life was not difficult or oppressive or traumatic) and the object of her affections returns those feelings consistently and early on. naruto's trauma is thus compounded over and over by the conflict his need for his specific love interest causes: naruto is only tolerated as a weapon of the state, and in order to be an effective one he needs to love and be loved, but his love interest who allows him these negative emotions is an enemy of the state, leading to further isolation/tension from the state and pushing him towards the love interest.

as such, i actually think naruto does remarkably well at balancing this conflict and tension in a way that keeps him functional. though, obviously and eventually the compounding of his trauma and the repression of his pain is something that needs to be addressed. the only person who is capable of doing this in a way that puts naruto's wellbeing first ("when i saw you in pain...i also felt pain" and the subsequent frequent moments of protection and defence) only reunites with him at the end of the manga, so you never get to see that actually happen.

im assuming the reason why a lot of this is missed is partially because through framing this repression as positive through the majority of the manga (aside from naruto's own personal thoughts), the reader is never really forced to decide how they feel about the concept unlike the inherent conflict of the radical revenge plot. the other part is the grander, underlying allegory in the naruto story which is the varied manifestations AND expressions of trauma. through readers' responses and attention to certain individuals in the naruto story, you can learn how they relate to and look at trauma. to me, naruto himself is actually the example of a trauma victim who shows a brave face and thus isnt recognized. naruto is the woman who puts on makeup to cover the bruises to go to work a day after she is assaulted. who tells herself that she must have some part in it, so it isnt abuse. maybe she grew up in a family where no one answered when she cried, so she learned to keep it moving and stop crying.

lastly, on a greater scale, people also forget a crucial aspect of "yin/yang" is that things with a large properties of one, by nature will also come with a small amount of the opposite. thats what the smaller inner dots represent.

a more surface level example of this is that naruto's face is brash, large, and masculine-- these are yang traits and they are predominant in his appearance. however, looking closely at his rounded cheeks and eyes and the soft nature of his eye colour, there are subtle yin elements. naruto's "positivity" or "optimism" is fueled by a certain level of negative repression.

#naruto analysis #naruto meta #naruto #naruto uzumaki #uzumaki naruto #sasunaru #narusasu #pro naruto uzumaki #uh who are relevant characters to tag here #gaara #kushina uzumaki #sasuke #sasuke uchiha #uchiha sasuke #the rest is up to god #i wrote this in one go so typos are expected

[sasukes-tomathoes]

Sasuke Video Masterpost

You thought YouTube was only for dudebros who post "Who would win: Naruto or all Akatsuki?"

FORTUNATELY not. Here are some gems I found on YouTube. Great analyses.

Why Sasuke Uchiha Is The Best Naruto Character*

SASUKE WAS RIGHT*

Dissecting Sasuke Uchiha*

In Defense of Sasuke Uchiha | Naruto Analysis

The Conflict and Compromise of Uchiha Sasuke

In Defense of Naruto and Sasuke: A Misunderstood Dynamic (Part 1)

In Defense of Naruto and Sasuke: A Misunderstood Dynamic (Part 2)

Naruto is a Story About Love

SASUKE GOT THAT DAWG IN HIM

*Best videos, MUST watch.

I'm probably definitely missing some more but these are the ones I remember off the top of my head. Will update this over time.

#pro sasuke #pro sasuke uchiha #naruto analysis #naruto essay #naruto youtube #naruto videos #naruto video essay #naruto video essays #op

[bananaman-mp3]

[ID: A screenshot of a reblog with the blog's url and profile picture scribbled outin red that reads: "...conditionally and only if you never disagree with them? O.o"

the tags underrneath read: "#it never stops baffling me #how fandom turned these two into some idea of love #when the story is literall Naruto obsessign over Sasuke who is not interrsted #and then beating him almost to death because Sasuke doesn't think genocide is good pooitcal move actually #like FFS pls read more mangas people" End ID]

are you serious... if naruto only loved him conditionally why did he risk everything to save him, even when everyone else was set on killing him for being a traitor to konoha?

the guy threw his dignity away, in the eyes of everyone, to defend public enemy #1

he always called sasuke his friend, he never stated that he would only consider him a friend only if he returned as a konoha ninja.

loves him conditionally my ass.

and like- the idea that naruto can only love people that never disagree with him is so fundamentally against his character it's almost comical. if that were true naruto wouldve simply killed nagato. he wouldn't have tried to understand him or talk him out of it the way he did, once he heard his story. he wouldn't have tried talking to obito either. or even neji, konohamaru and inari, as small as those moments look in comparison.

the obsession part would make more sense, given how much he thought about him and wanted him back, to the point even his friends and the girl who was in love with sasuke thought it was too much.

yet the part about naruto beating sasuke up is... weird. they do realize naruto was fighting him because sasukes idea of a revolution meant to martyr himself for the sake of peace, the way his brother did, right?

they do realize that sasuke wanted to kill him at that point too, right? that it wasn't naruto beating a defenseless sasuke, right?

if anything, naruto was leaning on the defensive side and sasuke was the one trying to beat him up. but the were pretty fucking tied in terms of power. thats why he came close to killing sasuke (and viceversa. stop treating sasuke like a weakling.)

now, that doenst mean naruto is completely in the right to simply undermine or ignore konohas wrongdoing just because it only fuels the cycle of violence. naruto himself is victim of konohas shit system, and he has acknowledged many of the problems it caused. he promised to nagato that hed help amegakure when he became hokage.

of course you could argue that narutos methods may not be as effective for change as sasukes more aggressive plan, since systemic change is rarely if ever achievable by working within it. but im not that good with politics so i dont think im the best to talk about it, and that already goes beyond the topic here.

sasukes violent reaction to konohas mistreatment of the uchiha was completely understandable and anyone in his place wouldve don the same. lets make that clear here. i think saying he was highly justified is not a controversial take, at least here. konoha and the shinobi system ARE fucked up.

also, love that 'sasuke is not interested' bit. op, why did sasuke want to kill naruto? tell me.

me when im not interested:

so yeah i think that's a pretty inaccurate take on sasukes feelings towards naruto.

#i know other people would probably do a better job counterarguing but i read that and was so pissed off i just had to run my mouth lmao #sasuke and narutos relationship has consumed me im beyind saving #sns #sasunaru #narusasu #naruto analysis #kinda.....? #sasunarusasu #naruto x sasuke #sasuke x naruto #banana bluhs #sasuke uchiha

[leportraitducadavre]

Ino and Sakura

It's often said that Sakura cut off her ties with Ino for more reasons than just Sasuke. For some fans, she even did it because Ino was pushing her down purposefully in order to be always on top.

In that sense, and while this post has been written in another response, the other one will soon become a monster too huge to control, so I'll leave this here for better access and to better expand their relationship for those who are interested.

A warning you should know: Many images are shown while others are linked (pay attention to the underlined-bold words, they'll guide you to the image analyzed).

Despite the claims introduced before, on the panels we were shown their previous relationship during their childhood at no point did Ino seem to downgrade Sakura -either physically or mentally-, on the contrary, she's constantly shown trying to lift her spirits, like when she complements her looks:

Let the world see that pretty face!! Strike a pose!

At no point did Ino downgrade Sakura or put herself above; telling Sakura to show confidence doesn’t automatically put her in a higher position in their friendship.

To explain myself further: providing help when someone needs it isn’t the same as putting oneself in a morally or physically superior position. Their relationship is of equals regardless of Ino supplying emotional support. The fact that Sakura inwardly elevates Ino's relevance in their dynamic isn’t Ino’s responsibility as everything Sakura thinks of Ino is never expressed (translated, Ino isn't aware of her position inside their friendship, as she's never told her relevance). Furthermore, Ino never states that she considers herself attractive or prettier than Sakura herself, every time they speak on the matter Ino tells Sakura to be more confident as she has a "pretty face".

Him! Hah! He just struts around, acting like he’s so cool.

At no moment does Ino seem upset at Sakura for liking the same boy, in fact, she chooses to lie about how she feels for Sasuke in order not to start a conflict. This is, of course, not specified in canon, but since Ino doesn't display her feelings for Sasuke and, quite the contrary, she criticizes him, it's safe to assume she lied about her feelings.

And even if Ino is upset about Sakura liking the same boy as her, something that is neither expressed nor shown, she doesn’t act around it.

Furthermore, Sakura engages in conversations with Ino about Sasuke (Hey, Ino! Sasuke seems to like girls with long hair, so I’m going to grow mine…) and it doesn’t seem as if Ino dismisses the subject out of jealousy.

Everyone says you’re after Sasuke too, Ino…

I'm aware that some fans, specifically S//S and Saku-Ino fans, claim that Sakura assumed Ino liked Sasuke and Ino, in retaliation, started to like him back to make Sakura jealous (?), however, unlike those fans who think Ino's whole character revolves around Sakura (she is, indeed, a supporting character of her, but she outgrew her role to the point where she's barely seen with Sakura after the Chünin Exams) I do believe that Ino truly liked Sasuke and that she was indeed surprised by Sakura having equal feelings for him.

[I will here say that, personally, those who diminish Ino's feelings for Sasuke to use that "lesser" type of love (there's nothing like a "lesser" type of love, there're different ways to love someone. Caring for someone romantically doesn't reflect equally on each individual), as a justification why Sakura "deserved" Sasuke are carrying a sexist view inside their reading of the manga: Cartoon or not, Ino is still a representation of a woman yet, for them, she isn't as valuable as Sakura because she loved Sasuke in a different manner she did.

They're measuring Ino, Karin, and even Sakura's value by the way they display their respective feelings for a man.

In the same manner, Karin, who shows more sexual desire for Sasuke (I will not deny her romantical feelings, but she is clearly more driven by her sexual interest in him), is not less of a woman or less deserving of being with him because of the nature of her feelings.

There's no such thing as a "suffering-meter" that determines which character suffered the most out of love and, therefore, who deserves a happy ending with the object of their affection. That not only links love's nature primarily to suffering but also measures a person's romantic value in terms of how much pain they can endure (either for their significant other or provoked by their significant other).]

Again, Ino doesn’t act around her feelings for Sasuke (in the next flashback Ino -despite knowing Sasuke likes girls with long hair, keeps her own hair short) nor around her friend's attraction.

It was Sakura the one who decided to break their friendship because someone (unspecified) told her Ino liked Sasuke in the same way she did.

This is how we learn about their breakup:

Chapter 53

If it's true... that makes us rivals!

Keep in mind that, until then, we only knew Ino was Sakura’s rival, it's Shikamaru the one that introduces the idea of Sakura and Ino being best friends once, and we have these panels to understand a little bit more about their prior relationship.

This rumor is, in fact, truthful as they do become rivals -so why would Ino allow this break-up if she truly didn't like Sasuke? It makes absolutely no sense, meaning that this theory of Ino faking her attraction to Sasuke is completely false, as she canonically is infatuated with him. Furthermore, when confronted, she chooses not to lie about her romantic interest in him to Sakura. The expression of Ino when hearing Sakura’s words is “uh-oh!”, which means she was keeping her feelings secret from her friend.

In chapter 54, we have a sneak peek at Sakura’s development as a ninja: After Naruto and Sasuke fight Orochimaru (and pass out), and Lee sacrifices his well-being in order to save her from the Oto team, Sakura cuts her hair as to free herself from Kin’s hold. Up to this point, we know this part is significant because of what Sakura thinks before doing it, but by Ino’s reaction, there’s something far deeper going on (Hey, Ino! Sasuke seems to like girls with long hair, so I’m going to grow mine…).

Her attack against Zaku isn't successful and, after barely hurting him, she has no more energy to continue (so she bites him). And here's when we have Ino’s flashback:

Chapter 54 - The flashback continues but all have been addressed previously.

The rivalry was started solely by Sakura. There’s no denying that Ino took up on that rivalry and started to act consequentially, but she wasn’t the one initiating it.

"I noticed your hair is lot longer, Ino" "What is it to you, Sakura?!!"

Let's acknowledge something, in this specific panel, it was Sakura who started their interaction (in a hostile manner, also) because she wanted to tell Ino about her position in Team 7.

She assumed Ino grew her hair long because of Sasuke -it isn't clear when was their fallout, but it must have been years prior to their graduation, so either they didn't see each other as much (or at all) since they went their separate ways, or Ino grew her hair long shortly after the beginning of the show, so there were at least a few years after their breakup when she still has her hair short.

It's safe to assume Ino did, in fact, keep her hair long for Sasuke's sake, yet it's not confirmed she did so to appeal to him, as she keeps growing it after his departure and it's shown how most people of her clan have their hair in a ponytail style, including her father.

So Ino, you'll never beat me now.

Despite some translations stating that Sakura said “I won’t lose to you anymore” (we were shown at no point in the manga how Sakura exactly lost against Ino), the official translation states otherwise -Sakura never exactly “lost” against Ino, nor Ino against Sakura.

Sakura's statement is based on Sasuke being on the same team as her, therefore, for this fact alone, Ino will never "win". Their whole rivalry is based on Sasuke. Now that Sakura is assigned to the same team as him, she has a better chance of winning his romantic reciprocation, therefore, Sakura's prospects are better than her rival's, which makes her the sole winner.

Yet, regardless of their mutual hostility, Ino still jumps to save her former friend, which means that she still has a deep connection with Sakura. Her face when remembering their childhood was a deeply troubled one, perhaps even mournful. In addition, by this point, Sasuke is unconscious: He isn’t able to see Ino’s heroic act, something Ino is aware of yet acts as if that is the sole reason why she jumped in.

After the fight, we have these panels:

To put some context: Naruto asks Sakura who “these guys are” when seeing Shikamaru, Chöji, Lee, and Ino; and after Sakura “thanks them”, Ino thinks that she’s selling herself short. Ino is shown constantly either telling Sakura or thinking of her as someone pretty and capable yet still self-conscious, even tho Sakura would have likely died had Ino and Team 10 not intervened, as Sasuke awoke after their tactic failed. Ino and Team 10 were saved by Team Gai and Sasuke, not Sakura.

During their fight in the preliminary rounds (CH 71), Sakura is particularly cruel:

First of all, she claims control and power of decision-making over a boy who has rejected her advances twice and who's not even present at the moment (he could, and honestly would, easily deny them both of the romantical reciprocation they sought). She starts their fight by trying to downgrade both Ino’s self-esteem (physically) and status in their “rivalry” (which she claims is now non-existent, as Sakura is the "winner" by being in the same team as Sasuke) -Ino’s words are a response to Sakura’s attitude.

[Kakashi saying that Sakura isn’t mean doesn’t make it automatically true -first, Kakashi doesn’t know Sakura that well as to claim she wouldn’t bully a person just because (she often displayed such an attitude towards Naruto during their first interactions, particularly when she told Sasuke that Naruto was annoying because he was parentless, Kakashi saw and knew none of that). Second, what he knows about Ino and Sakura’s relationship is what he read on a piece of paper -he knows nothing about how they actually interacted, nothing about their “power imbalance”, and, furthermore, he does nothing about Sakura’s insecurities -he hoped that Sakura would come around when the Chünin Exams came, but the whole reason she did so was because of Sasuke’s support.]

Sakura internally acknowledges Ino’s relevance in her life (1 and 2) yet none of that is actually told to Ino -who’s left in the dark. The last impression she possesses of Sakura is about her not being good enough to maintain a friendship outside their respective crushes on the same boy. Sakura, even without them being friends, still seeks Ino’s acknowledgment -the only one who is then made to do something for their relationship is Ino.

Personal opinion: Sakura hasn’t surpassed Ino. Much less at this point in the manga.

It’s Sakura the one who makes their rivalry just about Sasuke (here), while Ino states that she will not allow her to “show her up” (thus, for her, it seems to be more than just their shared crush on a boy, even during Asuma's last speech he tells her not to allow Sakura to win in "ninjutsu and love"), Sakura solely focuses on being on the same team as Sasuke as a signal of superiority; something she did absolutely nothing to gain as it was mere luck:

The teams are to be balanced and that’s why they put the dead last (Naruto) with the Rookie of the Year (Sasuke), there’s no canonical mention of Sakura’s part in the matter. The belief that she was put there because she was the “brightest” is a fanon belief (x). Furthermore, according to the Report Cards in the First Fanbook, Ino was behind Sasuke; making her the second-best overall and the best kunoichi amongst them (x).

Furthermore, Kakashi specifically visits Naruto's house alongside the Hokage who introduces him to the team he'll be leading, and at no moment do they even mention Sakura.

Meanwhile Ino, canonically speaking, would never be put on the same team as Sasuke, as she's the Yamanaka heir -her destiny was always to be with Chöji and Shikamaru.

Here

I’m not your little tag-along anymore Ino

Sakura says this in order to gain an emotional reaction -Ino is shocked by the words because she's never shown to consider Sakura to be what her former friend claims she used to be. Sakura is then painting the memories of their relationship in a negative light, downgrading it. What for Ino was a real friendship, to Sakura was a relationship of power.

[This is not a negative thing per se, Sakura needed a support system that Ino provided as she was too shy to socialize with anyone. What she's saying now is that she doesn't need Ino in order to interact with others. For Sakura is a positive thing, as she probably hated being "Ino's tag along", however, that doesn't change the negative impact that it has on Ino who never saw Sakura as a burden.]

Sakura's views of their dynamic diminish its relevance in her life and put Ino in the wrong (almost making her the abusive side of the relationship). Ino never reached for Sakura in order to make her her “tag-along”, Sakura was the one who put herself in that position.

I'm not blatantly denying Sakura's views on their former friendship, but from what we can see in canon, those views are either a lie she tells Ino to emotionally drag her during their match (stated before by Kakashi, she wants Ino to take her seriously), or a twisted version of the events transpired.

Much like with Sasuke, the fact that Sakura puts the weight of her well-being on another person’s shoulders means that she’s not responsible for the outcome or what her actions might entail: That’s why she makes Ino responsible for their fallout -hadn’t Ino liked the same boy, she wouldn’t have ended their relationship.

Sakura calling Ino a witch.

At the end of their fight, is Ino who -again, reaches out to Sakura and waits for her to wake, and, again: She gives her support.

We have a new interaction between them in CH 93 -where we see both of them visiting Sasuke in the hospital and bringing him a flower, there, we get to see them talking outside a ninja setting and inside Ino's flower shop.

1) It's established Sakura doesn't visit the flower shop until then.

2) They still bicker over Sasuke, the basis of their relationship hasn't changed after the Chünin Exams, but they seem to get along better.

3) Sakura learned the flowers' meaning in order to compete with Ino.

They even sit together in CH 99 to see the one-on-one fights of the last round of the exams, and while both Ino and Sakura are equally concerned about Sasuke, it's Ino the one who tells Sakura to cheer Naruto on during his match. How is Ino this "bad person who diminished Sakura" when she shows nothing but concern for her crush (Sasuke), her former friend (Sakura), and her rival's teammate (Naruto)? Furthermore, in CH 105, Ino realizes Sakura's change in mood when she admits (internally) to being somewhat jealous of Naruto.

After Shikamaru's match, once Sasuke appears, Ino compliments Sakura's team, praising both Sasuke and Naruto; Sakura's reaction isn't shown as the main focus is Lee -who hears Ino speaking-, but it amazes me how many people try to paint Ino's character as "shallow" and a "bully" when she has done nothing but encourage and praise those around her even when they're not close enough to hear her.

Then, after Sasuke's Retrieval Arc, Ino even goes as far as to look for Sakura once Shimamaru's team returns (x), and she even prioritizes Chöji before Sasuke (who they don't know actually left, x). How is Ino such a shallow, careless monster (who doesn't truly care for Sakura) if she goes out of her way to find her and inform her of their friends' return? Wouldn't have she taken the opportunity to visit Sasuke by herself? Wouldn't she have chosen to visit her crush first rather than Chöji if she was that obsessed with him and against Sakura?

In a way, and this is not to diminish some of the writing problems the author has, Ino is a nice representation of how Kishimoto is actually capable of writing a girl with a simple crush on a boy, who still prioritizes friends and comrades above the man she likes. Sakura's behavior, therefore, can't be attributed to Kishimoto not "knowing how to write women", but to him giving Sakura specific characteristics that just happen to be disliked by the fandom. In retaliation, her stans decide to blame such personality traits on his "incapability" to write female characters before giving them the actual relevance they have over Sakura's character.

#ino yamanaka #anti inosaku #anti sakuino #not exactly anti sakura #but you know how it is #anti sakura haruno #anti sakura #anti sakura fandom #anti sakura uchiha #naruto analysis #naruto meta #anti ss #anti sss #anti sasusaku #brief mentions of: #sasuino #sasukarin

[skykashi]

Okay, I'm going to say something because I've been seeing the fandom crapping on Hinata for being a housewife since the end of Naruto and it just doesn't sit well at all with me, so before saying anything just to clarify, Hinata isn't even among my top ten favorite characters so I'm absolutely neutral here but I keep seeing memes like this

And jokes being made about her and that "eVeRYoNe iN hEr gENeRaTioN iS dOiNg imPoRtAnT jOBs wHiLe sHe's mObBiNg aNd cLeAniNg" and stuff and like, I don't understand what's wrong with being a housewife?!!! What's wrong with choosing the life that you actually want? If someone feels like their kids and house is their priority and that they want to dedicate their life to it, then good for them! Good for them for knowing what they want and going for it, there's absolutely nothing wrong with that!. Hinata was told since she was born that she's the Hyuga clan's heiress who's expected to train and be a strong ninja so she can lead her clan after her father, just because she happened to be born as his eldest child and she had to live through the constant disappointment of her father her entire life and yet when she grew up, she went against all of that and actually chose what she wants for her life not what was expected of her, despite the pressure of her clan and father and traditions, at the end she chose to do what she wants for her life not what they wanted her to be, and that actually imho makes incredibly strong because strength is not just about muscles or super alien ninja powers, it takes a lot of courage and strength to go against your society/clan/family and do what you know is right for you not what they think you were born to be. And you know what? Domestic work is still important hard work and having a job doesn't make anyone more superior than a full-time Stay-at-home parent who doesn't always have the luxury of having weekends, days off and annual leaves or sick leaves, who can't just take a break and abandon their responsibilities no matter how tired or sick they are.

#naruto #hinata hyuga #hyuga hinata #konoha 12 #naruto shippuden #uzumaki family #hyuga clan #naruto meta #naruto analysis

[infp-denofdreams]

while i do understand that Rasa did give Gaara a traumatic childhood, as a history student i cant really help but feel for Rasa as well. This man had the pressure of a whole economically drained terrain on his shoulders, his wife died at childbirth when he was what? 27 barely? his council deemed his son as a failure, his son was going on rampage and killing his village, and the fate of his village was hanging by a thread

and i don't even want to think about the nights he might have spent mourning his wife and blaming himself for being a failure, a failed husband, a failed father, a failed ruler, because he was obviously tortured by guilt when he was reincarnated

did he commit mistakes? yes. did he make his children's childhood traumatic? yes. but do i understand why he did what he did? obviously yes. he had so few choices at hand, none feasible enough to sustain the barren desert economy. moreover, the kazekage clan is so much like a historical royal clan you can't really judge it according to modern parameters.

Rasa's character is also so tragic, i love the depth and complexity of it and also the dilemmas and duties a king had to face, duties as a single father of three children, duties as a ruler of a barren economy, you can't really just label him as "he was an asshole father" as a shallow statement

#naruto meta #naruto analysis #rasa #rasa naruto #sabaku no rasa #gaara #sabaku no gaara #naruto

[twomiddlefingersforthehaters]

I think Sasuke really likes the funny faces Naruto makes and his reactions.

Naruto stumbling down as he hears Sasuke call his name for the first time. This was the first time Sasuke initiated to talk to Naruto… and somehow this memory was immediately etched into Sasuke's brain.

Teasing-1

He did not complain or argue about why he was tied up and used his henge [because he loves Naruto making pranks]. But he comes looking for him only to tease him by calling him a "dobe". He may want to see how he reacts to what he does and says.

Teasing-2

He never let slip any chances he gets to tease and taunt him

Teasing-3

when they returned from their mission...it was Sasuke who just initiated to tease him by asking, "Can't you take care of yourself?"

Teasing-4

ムキー (Mukī) - SFX for a growling noise or sound of disappointment, made when one is angry or pissed. It is also used when things don't turn out the way you expected. バシャ (basha)- splash.

Naruto was angry that he was ordered to do it... and he splashed the water, telling Sasuke to do it instead. Hearing that, he quickly changed what he had said earlier and said that three fish would be enough. It's only around Naruto that we get to see this teasing and playful side of him.

Sasuke tell naruto to do something he'll go "don't tell me what to do you piss me off so much!!!" and then do it. Something that Never Change

The scenes where Sakura introduces herself and talks about Sasuke while looking at him, Sasuke's face was never shown in those panels...But when Sakura said she doesn't like Naruto, Naruto made this funny face when he heard this, and we got a full view of Sasuke's blushing face at that very moment. Here the onomatopoeia used for Naruto is ガーン, It is used when a person is shocked/the emotion of being shocked

I thought he was blushing in that scene because he was embarrassed by what Sakura said. Then I wondered why Kishi didn't show Sasuke's face before... He could draw him when she said those things that were so embarrassing to hear. But why his face only shown when Naruto appeared in that scene with his funny shocked reaction??

He cherishes Naruto stumbling down after hearing him calling out his name. We don't know what face was Naruto making when Sasuke calls him 'dobe', only he knows. And It also becomes his precious memory. Even he added that teasing scene in there. He remembered Naruto's introduction and his dream of becoming a Hokage. So I think Sasuke blushed because of him. Naruto was so funny and adorable……maybe Sasuke found it too cute. The way Sasuke liked Naruto's pranks...he might also like this funny, adorable, silly, free-spirited behavior of his. Otherwise there is no need to remember these moments in his deathbed.

#naruto analysis #sns #Sasuke #Naruto #narusasu #sasunaru #my stuff

[sasukesun]

i’ve said it before that naruto and sasuke break the rules of their world (and the genre itself) for the sake of each other but they also break their own rules when it comes to their feelings for one another.

naruto says he refuses to die before he becomes hokage, his main goal, and yet, he is willing to die with sasuke so they can understand each other in the next life. it’s even more interesting that naruto usually says he won’t die until he becomes hokage in big battles, some of which he still isn’t powerful enough, so he can’t guarantee that he will live, and yet, he makes the choice to die with sasuke when he is a high level shinobi already, during a moment that he has things under control. he puts sasuke above his dream, a goal he swears it will happen. naruto says he never goes back on his word, that’s something important to him, to his character, and yet, it’s not that important when sasuke is involved. he makes a promise to sakura that he would bring sasuke back, but after sakura tries to make him break such promise (for herself) naruto admits that it was never about it and he would go after sasuke with or without it. it’s not that he necessarily is going back on his word here, but something that is important to him is dismissed when it comes to his own personal feelings of wanting to help sasuke. naruto wants peace, he wants everybody to get along, he takes time to listen to his enemies because of it, but he will also declare war by himself against another village if they happen to kill sasuke. he doesn’t want people to get revenge on each other anymore, but he will get his personal revenge if something happens to sasuke. he shows those contradictions whenever sauske is involved, because sasuke will always be his exception.

sasuke says he refuses to die before killing his brother and getting his revenge, his main goal, and yet, he instinctively jumps in front of what he believed was a fatal attack to save naruto’s life, he literally admits that when he’s dying in naruto’s arms. sasuke also puts naruto above his own personal goal, and in sasuke’s case, his goal is pretty much tied to how he lives his life, or actually, how itachi said he should. with hatred and anger and isolation. but sasuke is still able to get closer to naruto, to consider him, not only a friend, but his closest friend, his one and only, despite believing that bonds make him weak, naruto goes above those beliefs, goes above that way of living. it happens in vote1 when he refuses to kill naruto for the mangekyou, which is very interesting because his excuse is that “he won’t do it in itachi’s way” yet, he still tries to do all the rest in itachi’s way (having enough hatred so that will make him stronger). and it happens in vote2, when he accepts naruto’s love for him because, deep inside, he doesn’t want to be alone, he doesn’t want to cut naruto off. because his revolution in the shape that he believes it must go goes against what he actually feels. both sasuke and naruto have those contradictions inside them, they are each other’s exceptions.

they break the rules of the violence that was taught to them with the love they feel for each other, but they also break their own rules and principles for the same reason.

#narusasu #sns #sasunaru #uzumaki naruto #uchiha sasuke #naruto #sasuke #naruto analysis #naruto textpost #bella.txt

[nejiisthebesthyuga]

🤡:hiashi is a horrible father who abused hinata!

Meanwhile manga and The Last film hinata fans love so much:

hiashi NEVER abused hinata in any form at all.

N E V E R.

hinata fans lie about hinata “being abused by hiashi” to draw your attention away from the fact that hinata exploits (what is a real form of abuse) Neji and Ko as her slaves and uses them as her teachers and bodyguards.

hinata fans try to gaslight you into thinking that “hinata has a bad dad who hates and neglects her” so that they can trick you into sympathing with hinata.

By the way,even if hiashi really was an abusive father,like Gaara’s dad, this still would NOT justify hinata abusing Neji and Ko by using them as her slaves.

hinatafans are desperate to white wash hinata and to make her seem oh so innocent and oh so pure,so they lie,lie and lie some more.

hiashi being slightly strict to hinata one single time in the whole Naruto/Boruto franchise does NOT make him an abusive father.

hinata lost to hanabi,who is FIVE FUCKING YEARS YOUNGER!

Imagine that your child is worse in mathematics or any other school subject that someone who is 5 years younger: will you praise your child for failing?

Also,y’all are forgetting that this is a shinobi world full of political games and wars: hiashi is raising future clanhead,obviously he is forced to discipline his children and to pick a worthy candidate.

hiashi could and should have banished hinata to side branch and claimed her with caged bird seal,but he did not do so,he left hinata with all the sweet privileges of being in main Hyuga branch: owning slaves and using them as her bodyguards and teachers,having free access to the strongest Hyuga justu,being protected even against chunin exam rules; but without any responsibilities at all: hiashi dead straight tells hinata that she has no responsibility in the clan and can do whatever she pleases to.

Also,another lie hinata fans tell you:

🤡:hiashi forced hinata to become a kunoichi! hinata never wanted to be a shinobi,but was forced because of her clan!

hinata LOST her titul of heir and future clanhead to hanabi when she was 12.

hiashi TOLD HINATA TO DO WHATEVER SHW WANTS TO.

Nobody never forced hinata to do anything: unlike Neji and Ko,hinata is not enslaved with caged bird seal and is absolutely free.

hinatafans are so stupid that they don’t even understand their fav.

hinata wanted to be a kunoichi herself because she wanted to be with Naruto,that is why she even shamelessly stole Naruto’s ninja way and than abandoned it.

Stupid bitch and her stupid fans.

Ew.

#neji hyuga #anti hinata hyuga #anti hinata #antihinata #hinata hyuga #hanabi hyuga #hyuga clan #hiashi hyuga #naruto #naruto analysis #naruto shippuden #naruto gaiden #naruto manga #naruto anime #naruto mobile #naruto memes #naruto meta #naruto merch #naruto movie #boruto #boruto two blue vortex #boruto next generation #boruto naruto next generations #sasuke uchiha #sakura #itachi uchiha #madara uchiha #obito uchiha #akatsuki #anime and manga

[sassykinzonline]

thank you @heavensculled for reminding me to make this post through your post.

okay so.

theres a reason that naruto specifically phrases his double-suicide the way he does: hes answering the question posed to him by itachi.

theres a misconception that naruto is stubborn and stupid. naruto is steadfast in his conviction, but like anyone who truly believes in something, he is always thinking deeper about what his convictions mean and how to get there. he also doesnt discount information or ideology just because of the source-- he is rather literate, likely due to his skills with empathy. we know this because of his conversation with nagato.

so if itachi, someone he knows to be extremely important to what he cares about and knows that person intimately, why would he discount itachi's perspective on it? and by the time he actually makes his proposal, he is now aware of itachi's truth and his true feelings.

recall that actually in the little gay heart-to-heart glitter space (GGS for short), naruto says hes "not gonna lose", not that he doesnt plan on dying. so obviously he has a different goal in mind than "live or die". we also know that before the GGS, this is how "blows are exchanged".

no kill shot from either side. although this was just said...

what can we gather from this? that a certain someone is full of shit, and naruto now has re-confirmed this (just like with "i spared your life on a whim"). but whats the reason naruto cant actually die?

so now naruto knows this. he also knows this after sakura is almost killed:

naruto also knows that an implicit part of the plan involves neverending pain that will only end with death, because its intended to bait all battle from every shinobi in one direction. this is the start of it:

as i previously joked about, naruto's confession/proposal is calling a bluff but also a way of stating his intentions. we know this because in the actual battle he says:

in summary, naruto's lovers' double suicide plan isnt about bending someone to his will. its the opposite. it's his final guess at putting together all the things he has understood until now, and presenting it as his position. this is the stand he is taking. it's a promise, because he never breaks his promises. part of the final battle is a test whether to see whether or not he can keep the promise alive:

why would you be mad at someone youre trying to kill for almost dying? hmm...i wonder.

in any case, naruto's final guess is the right one.

and he proves himself after all, and it's a happy moment...but not just for him.

#naruto #naruto analysis #sasuke #pro naruto uzumaki #naruto uzumaki #uzumaki naruto #sasunaru #narusasu #sasunarusasu #naruto x sasuke #theres more i could add about how itachi is basically what neji was supposed to be for hinata and naruto #but this was already long and unfocused #stop the naruto slander

[mostly-just-sasuke-blog]

People hate Sasuke for not being the rival character they expect. Even from the start Naruto is jealous of Sasuke. Naruto is chasing Sasuke (metaphorically). And even from the start Sasuke really is better than Naruto in all areas, including morally. In other shonen it's always the opposite. Bakugo is jealous of Deku. Bakugo is chasing Deku. Deku is pure and kind; Bakugo is mean and off putting. But in Naruto, it at first appear as if they are reenacting the old song and dance. Why shouldn't we believe What Naruto tells us about Sasuke? Because the narrative keeps hinting it's not true. That actually Naruto is jealous and inferior and defensive and mean and initiating fights. And Sasuke does respond... but when it counts, he is actually always acting to protect and defend Naruto. And people hate Sasuke for it. Sasuke was actually the one who better fit the hero archetype than Naruto at the start. So when Sasuke falls from grace... (When he starts acting more like Naruto) The fandom breathed a collective sigh of relief because they thought the proper balance was finally being restored. Of course Sasuke would act like that. He was created to be the rival after all. He is made that way. They knew it all along. Internally, they felt gratified. All is right with the world. The story makes sense once again. Except the story keeps on making odd choices. Choices that are frustrating. That don't fit the meta paradigm they've already subconsciously applied to the story. Underlying assumptions most people aren't even aware of. Like a key that sort of fits, but doesn't open the door. People throughout the fandom use different keys to try to make sense of the story. And they sort of fit... But they can't unlock the door. They can't quite make sense of the story. Must be bad writing they conclude. Only the story is still so powerful and resonates with so many.

#pro sasuke #uchiha sasuke #sasuke naruto sakura #naruto #naruto ramblings #naruto uzumaki #naruto analysis