Chapter 674: Sasuke's Rinnegan
Chapter 674: Sasuke's Rinnegan
SUMMARY
The chapter opens with Naruto and Sasuke facing off against Madara. Madara attacks with some sort of black lightning, but Naruto is able to strike back, while Sasuke appears to dodge.
Madara realizes that Sasuke has gained some new power from his left eye, which has become a Rinnegan. However, there's no time to think about that: Naruto is attacking. Madara uses a power called Limbo, which seems to stop Naruto's attack from working somehow...
Madara strikes back at Naruto, and Sasuke throws a sword to help. But somehow, it misses. Sasuke is surprised by this.
Naruto shouts to Sasuke that it (the sword? the attack? it isn't clear) 'went there', and there's something hanging around, but he can't see it. Sasuke says that he can see it clearly. Listening to them, Madara is shocked: these two can actually perceive his Limbo technique!
What Sasuke sees is another Madara, hovering behind the real one. Madara speculates that Sasuke can see it because of his Rinnegan, while Naruto can only sense it. Meanwhile, Sasuke realizes that before, the Limbo Madara got between Real Madara and Naruto's attack, blocking it. He concludes that physical attacks won't work on the Limbo Madara.
Madara is confused, because no one on Earth should be able to sense or see his Limbo technique. He doesn't understand how Naruto and Sasuke could have suddenly gotten such power. But it occurs to him that Sasuke is the only Uchiha besides him to have awakened a straight-comma Sharingan...perhaps there's a connection between them beyond just their blood relation? (The readers, of course, already knew this: Madara and Sasuke were both reincarnations of the Sage of Sixth Paths' older son)
Madara leaps forward to attack, but suddenly he gets stabbed with the sword Sasuke had thrown previously! He asks if that's the power of Sasuke's left eye. It's not clear what happened here: did Sasuke cause a hit to Limbo Madara to be transferred to Real Madara? Did he teleport the sword with his mind? Regardless, it seems that Madara wasn't expecting that.
Sasuke observes carefully and realizes that attacks using the Sage of Sixth Paths chakra are able to harm the Limbo Madara: Madara's left arm is wounded, probably from when he defended himself from Naruto's attack using the Limbo Madara. Sasuke also sees Limbo Madara go back into Madara's body, and realizes that he must not be able to use Limbo all the time: sometimes the Limbo Madara must return to Real Madara. That's the moment when Madara is most vulnerable.
Sasuke comes up with a plan: when the Limbo Madara comes back, Naruto will attack it with Sage Chakra, while Sasuke will fight the Real Madara. Naruto is a little annoyed at having to obey Sasuke's orders, but seems to take it with good humor.
Sasuke scolds him, telling him to keep listening until Sasuke is done talking. Limbo Madara and Real Madara will probably keep overlapping for a while, so Naruto should use Sage Chakra for his next attack. Sasuke suggests using a technique that would block Madara's attacks.
Madara admires Sasuke, thinking to himself how Sasuke has quickly figured out how Limbo works and come up with a strategy to fight it. He has good instincts and good judgment, and stays calm during battle. Madara thinks that if only Sasuke had been born before Obito, he would've recruited Sasuke instead. But, regardless, he can't let his guard down: Naruto and Sasuke aren't just any couple of ninja kids. He has to get back his other eye as quickly as possible so he can be at full strength for this fight.
Meanwhile, the Shukaku tells Naruto to use his chakra for the next attack, and he'll put a sealing justsu in it.
So Naruto makes a Rasengan (what else?) with Shukaku chakra, and meanwhile Sasuke also uses Sage Chakra for his Chidori, creating black lightning. He tells Naruto to throw the Rasengan towards him, and Naruto replies that he's still irked, but he trusts Sasuke's judgment. They strike, and...
They hit Madara from both sides, badly wounding him. It's not clear how they got on either side of him, but since Sasuke told Naruto to throw the Rasengan towards him, it seems that Sasuke must have used some ability to change either their locations or Madara's location. Or perhaps he somehow foresaw where Madara would be standing?
But then, something strange happens...with his Rinnegan, Sasuke can see that Madara somehow had his Limbo Madara absorb the attack in his place! Naruto shouts that he'll attack the escaping Real Madara while Sasuke should go after the other one. Sasuke tries to track Madara's movement, but can't, and Madara realizes that there's a limit to how far away Sasuke can use his Rinnegan...he's starting to understand how Sasuke's Rinnegan works.
Naruto shouts for Sasuke to hurry, because Madara is heading right for Kakashi!
But it's too late: Madara zips past, grabbing Kakashi's eye as he goes and slapping it right into his eye-socket. It appears that in the last hundred years, Madara has become the ultimate master of eye-surgery and can now put in a new eye in just seconds.
Meanwhile, in the kamui dimension, Obito is telling Sakura to stab him in the eye, because he can't hold off Black Zetsu anymore. Sakura tells him that she knows, and she seems to be just about to stab him...
And outside, Sasuke is rushing to attack Madara. He's so fast that he caught up to Madara almost immediately, and then...
...he chops Madara in half. But it's too late--before Madara's body can even hit the ground, he warps to the kamui dimension!
His appearance startles Obito and Sakura, and before she can stab Obito in the eye, Madara flings one of his weird black chakra balls at them! Will he stop them from stabbing out Obito's eye and steal back his Rinnegan? Well it seems we won't find out until next week...
REVIEW
This chapter was all fighting, but the fighting was rather complicated; there are still parts I don't understand. In particular, it seems that Sasuke has some sort of power that's letting him move objects around (this seems to be how he stabbed Madara with the sword, and how he got them to pincer attack Madara). But either I simply missed an explanation somewhere, or we're going to find out what Sasuke's doing later on.
Even Madara has now acknowledged Sasuke's skill as a tactician. Sasuke as the strategic, clever fighter has been consistent throughout the manga, in contrast to Naruto's more head-on attack style, and it seems that the two combine their powers well as long as they follow Sasuke's plans. Perhaps this is a foreshadowing that the manga will end with Sasuke, who has a more strategic mind, becoming Hokage, while Naruto takes on a more Jiraiya-like support role.
Regarding Sakura, I actually am not sure that we're meant to think she's hesitating here. When we cut to the kamui dimension, it's not clear how long Obito and Sakura have been standing there; time during battles is pretty fuzzy in this manga, where talking is a free action. It's possible that we're meant to think Sakura has been standing there hesitating for a long time, but when I read it, I thought it was more that Obito has just now realized he's losing control of Black Zetsu and tells her to stab him, Sakura says "I know" and gets ready to do so, but then Madara teleports in before she actually can. I assume that next chapter, if she was supposed to have been hesitating in this one, we'll get some dialogue making that clear, but for the moment, I think it could be interpreted either way. That could just be me, though.
I also am not sure why they don't just stab Black Zetsu. I mean, he doesn't seem to be able to attack them, and she has a knife right there...
I know that many fans have been looking forward to this Naruto-Sasuke tag-team, but I have to say, it leaves me cold. Their strategies are good, but somehow their relationship doesn't really feel...convincing? It may just be my taste, but after they haven't seen each other in literal years and after so much conflict, it seems strange for them to just team up and be chatting like old friends. There just wasn't enough development so it doesn't ring true for me.
I also almost feel bad for Madara, in a strange way: these two have just been given superhuman powers by the Sage of Sixths Paths, who is basically the ultimate ninja, and now they're beating him up and seeing through all his tricks. Well, it seems that soon he'll get a powerup of his own, and maybe the fight will become a little less one-sided.
SUMMARY
The chapter opens with Naruto and Sasuke facing off against Madara. Madara attacks with some sort of black lightning, but Naruto is able to strike back, while Sasuke appears to dodge.
Madara realizes that Sasuke has gained some new power from his left eye, which has become a Rinnegan. However, there's no time to think about that: Naruto is attacking. Madara uses a power called Limbo, which seems to stop Naruto's attack from working somehow...
Madara strikes back at Naruto, and Sasuke throws a sword to help. But somehow, it misses. Sasuke is surprised by this.
Naruto shouts to Sasuke that it (the sword? the attack? it isn't clear) 'went there', and there's something hanging around, but he can't see it. Sasuke says that he can see it clearly. Listening to them, Madara is shocked: these two can actually perceive his Limbo technique!
What Sasuke sees is another Madara, hovering behind the real one. Madara speculates that Sasuke can see it because of his Rinnegan, while Naruto can only sense it. Meanwhile, Sasuke realizes that before, the Limbo Madara got between Real Madara and Naruto's attack, blocking it. He concludes that physical attacks won't work on the Limbo Madara.
Madara is confused, because no one on Earth should be able to sense or see his Limbo technique. He doesn't understand how Naruto and Sasuke could have suddenly gotten such power. But it occurs to him that Sasuke is the only Uchiha besides him to have awakened a straight-comma Sharingan...perhaps there's a connection between them beyond just their blood relation? (The readers, of course, already knew this: Madara and Sasuke were both reincarnations of the Sage of Sixth Paths' older son)
Madara leaps forward to attack, but suddenly he gets stabbed with the sword Sasuke had thrown previously! He asks if that's the power of Sasuke's left eye. It's not clear what happened here: did Sasuke cause a hit to Limbo Madara to be transferred to Real Madara? Did he teleport the sword with his mind? Regardless, it seems that Madara wasn't expecting that.
Sasuke observes carefully and realizes that attacks using the Sage of Sixth Paths chakra are able to harm the Limbo Madara: Madara's left arm is wounded, probably from when he defended himself from Naruto's attack using the Limbo Madara. Sasuke also sees Limbo Madara go back into Madara's body, and realizes that he must not be able to use Limbo all the time: sometimes the Limbo Madara must return to Real Madara. That's the moment when Madara is most vulnerable.
Sasuke comes up with a plan: when the Limbo Madara comes back, Naruto will attack it with Sage Chakra, while Sasuke will fight the Real Madara. Naruto is a little annoyed at having to obey Sasuke's orders, but seems to take it with good humor.
Sasuke scolds him, telling him to keep listening until Sasuke is done talking. Limbo Madara and Real Madara will probably keep overlapping for a while, so Naruto should use Sage Chakra for his next attack. Sasuke suggests using a technique that would block Madara's attacks.
Madara admires Sasuke, thinking to himself how Sasuke has quickly figured out how Limbo works and come up with a strategy to fight it. He has good instincts and good judgment, and stays calm during battle. Madara thinks that if only Sasuke had been born before Obito, he would've recruited Sasuke instead. But, regardless, he can't let his guard down: Naruto and Sasuke aren't just any couple of ninja kids. He has to get back his other eye as quickly as possible so he can be at full strength for this fight.
Meanwhile, the Shukaku tells Naruto to use his chakra for the next attack, and he'll put a sealing justsu in it.
So Naruto makes a Rasengan (what else?) with Shukaku chakra, and meanwhile Sasuke also uses Sage Chakra for his Chidori, creating black lightning. He tells Naruto to throw the Rasengan towards him, and Naruto replies that he's still irked, but he trusts Sasuke's judgment. They strike, and...
They hit Madara from both sides, badly wounding him. It's not clear how they got on either side of him, but since Sasuke told Naruto to throw the Rasengan towards him, it seems that Sasuke must have used some ability to change either their locations or Madara's location. Or perhaps he somehow foresaw where Madara would be standing?
But then, something strange happens...with his Rinnegan, Sasuke can see that Madara somehow had his Limbo Madara absorb the attack in his place! Naruto shouts that he'll attack the escaping Real Madara while Sasuke should go after the other one. Sasuke tries to track Madara's movement, but can't, and Madara realizes that there's a limit to how far away Sasuke can use his Rinnegan...he's starting to understand how Sasuke's Rinnegan works.
Naruto shouts for Sasuke to hurry, because Madara is heading right for Kakashi!
But it's too late: Madara zips past, grabbing Kakashi's eye as he goes and slapping it right into his eye-socket. It appears that in the last hundred years, Madara has become the ultimate master of eye-surgery and can now put in a new eye in just seconds.
Meanwhile, in the kamui dimension, Obito is telling Sakura to stab him in the eye, because he can't hold off Black Zetsu anymore. Sakura tells him that she knows, and she seems to be just about to stab him...
And outside, Sasuke is rushing to attack Madara. He's so fast that he caught up to Madara almost immediately, and then...
...he chops Madara in half. But it's too late--before Madara's body can even hit the ground, he warps to the kamui dimension!
His appearance startles Obito and Sakura, and before she can stab Obito in the eye, Madara flings one of his weird black chakra balls at them! Will he stop them from stabbing out Obito's eye and steal back his Rinnegan? Well it seems we won't find out until next week...
REVIEW
This chapter was all fighting, but the fighting was rather complicated; there are still parts I don't understand. In particular, it seems that Sasuke has some sort of power that's letting him move objects around (this seems to be how he stabbed Madara with the sword, and how he got them to pincer attack Madara). But either I simply missed an explanation somewhere, or we're going to find out what Sasuke's doing later on.
Even Madara has now acknowledged Sasuke's skill as a tactician. Sasuke as the strategic, clever fighter has been consistent throughout the manga, in contrast to Naruto's more head-on attack style, and it seems that the two combine their powers well as long as they follow Sasuke's plans. Perhaps this is a foreshadowing that the manga will end with Sasuke, who has a more strategic mind, becoming Hokage, while Naruto takes on a more Jiraiya-like support role.
Regarding Sakura, I actually am not sure that we're meant to think she's hesitating here. When we cut to the kamui dimension, it's not clear how long Obito and Sakura have been standing there; time during battles is pretty fuzzy in this manga, where talking is a free action. It's possible that we're meant to think Sakura has been standing there hesitating for a long time, but when I read it, I thought it was more that Obito has just now realized he's losing control of Black Zetsu and tells her to stab him, Sakura says "I know" and gets ready to do so, but then Madara teleports in before she actually can. I assume that next chapter, if she was supposed to have been hesitating in this one, we'll get some dialogue making that clear, but for the moment, I think it could be interpreted either way. That could just be me, though.
I also am not sure why they don't just stab Black Zetsu. I mean, he doesn't seem to be able to attack them, and she has a knife right there...
I know that many fans have been looking forward to this Naruto-Sasuke tag-team, but I have to say, it leaves me cold. Their strategies are good, but somehow their relationship doesn't really feel...convincing? It may just be my taste, but after they haven't seen each other in literal years and after so much conflict, it seems strange for them to just team up and be chatting like old friends. There just wasn't enough development so it doesn't ring true for me.
I also almost feel bad for Madara, in a strange way: these two have just been given superhuman powers by the Sage of Sixths Paths, who is basically the ultimate ninja, and now they're beating him up and seeing through all his tricks. Well, it seems that soon he'll get a powerup of his own, and maybe the fight will become a little less one-sided.