Chapter 685 review
Chapter 685: All You Have…!!
I'm really having to exercise some restraint to not include nearly every panel from the last five pages or so. This was a chapter with a lot of great visual storytelling. (Although I may be biased due to my ship preferences…)
This chapter backs us up a bit from where we left off last week, flashing back to when Obito, Sakura, and a Naruto clone were planning to follow Kaguya on her next dimensional jump. All three successfully make it through, and clone Naruto, realizing that Black Zetsu senses them, volunteers to distract BZ and Kaguya while Sakura and Obito hide in Obito’s dimension.
In the last chapter, it seemed that when Black Zetsu said that three got in, but two vanished, he meant two Naruto clones vanished. Now we see the reality is that the two who vanished were Sakura and Obito, while a Naruto clone - not the real Naruto - remained to fight Kaguya. This clone was the Naruto that was killed last chapter, while the real one remained in the previous dimension, along with his army of clones.
Kaguya, having returned to that dimension, continues to fight this army, determined to keep Naruto from getting any closer to Sasuke. She notices that the real Naruto has black guododama behind him.
The real Naruto has a halo of the black Truth-Seeking Balls.
Now back in the dimension they followed Kaguya to, Sakura and Obito are in place for the next phase of their plan: using Obito’s eye power and Sakura’s chakra boost to open a doorway to the dimension where Sasuke is hidden. It’s a difficult task, and they both have to give their all. Obito’s eyes start bleeding from the strain. Meanwhile, in the desert dimension, Sasuke detects Naruto’s chakra (presumably the clone Naruto who followed Kaguya ) and moves toward it.
Sakura vows to give all she has to recover Sasuke.
Sakura and Obito open doors unsuccessfully at first, and in one attempt, Sakura’s jacket and arm are burned by a sea of acid pouring in from the other dimension. Obito suggests she stop and heal her wound, but she pushes through it, not wanting to waste the chance Naruto gave them. They try again, and this time, they open the right doorway, and can see Sasuke in the distance through the opening.
Run, Sasuke-kun, run!
Sasuke, hearing Sakura’s call, begins to run like hell for the doorway, but he’s too far away, and Sakura and Obito, try as they might, can’t sustain the opening long enough for him to get to it. Luckily, Sasuke has a trick up his sleeve. He has the power to switch places with another location, though there’s a limit on the distance, and he was able to switch with Sakura’s acid-burned jacket. Just as Sakura is about to collapse from exhaustion, Sasuke comes up behind her and catches her in his arms.
And SasuSaku shippers everywhere rejoiced.
Thoughts on the chapter:
What ever happened to “I, the real one…”?
Last chapter, the Naruto with the guododama halo tried to follow Kaguya in her dimensional jump. Mangapanda translates his thoughts as, “I, the real one, will go.” That’s one part of this chapter’s reinterpretation of last chapter’s events that doesn’t seem to fit. I guess the real Naruto was (serendipitously) unsuccessful in making it to the doorway in time?
Did Black Zetsu deceive Kaguya?
Black Zetsu’s assessment of the situation was the reason Kaguya was fooled into thinking she killed the real Naruto. Did BZ deceive her on purpose, or did he just misunderstand the situation himself?
Kaguya and the real Naruto
Now Kaguya knows how to tell Naruto apart from his clones. I expect her to try and take advantage of that knowledge next chapter. Still, the guododama are powerful, so Naruto will probably put them to good use defending himself. (When did he start manifesting those, anyway? After meeting with the Sage? Has he actually used them yet?)
Sakura and Obito
A lot of fans have noticed that Sakura and Obito have formed a surprisingly friendly team. Some speculate that she may remind him of Rin. Obito’s burning out of his eyes and other recent clues suggest he will probably die soon. I wonder how Sakura will react.
Sakura’s moment in the spotlight
Of course, one of the main points of interest in the chapter is that Sakura finally has the chance to do something unquestionably useful in the fight. The implications of that something being essential to rescue Sasuke are interesting, especially considering how dismissive he was of her usefulness so recently. Anyway, I’m glad to see Sakura get her chance to shine, though I expect it won’t last beyond this chapter.
Ship tease
And no discussion of this chapter would be complete without comment on the interaction of Sakura and Sasuke. From a Watsonian perspective, it’s by no means a romantic moment, but the emotional intensity of the scene, and the way it’s designed visually are, IMO, highly suggestive. In particular, the two side by side panels of intense gazes between the two and the circumstances that allowed Sakura to show more skin than usual on the panel when Sasuke catches her amount to a visual tableau that signals a certain level of sexiness. Whether this is Kishimoto simply “ship teasing” the SasuSaku fans (I am told it’s the most popular het ship among Japanese fans), or indicative of his intention of eventually pairing them off is open for debate. But I think the way the scene is designed is clearly meant to signal romance (from a Doyalist point of view).
Joie
I'm really having to exercise some restraint to not include nearly every panel from the last five pages or so. This was a chapter with a lot of great visual storytelling. (Although I may be biased due to my ship preferences…)
This chapter backs us up a bit from where we left off last week, flashing back to when Obito, Sakura, and a Naruto clone were planning to follow Kaguya on her next dimensional jump. All three successfully make it through, and clone Naruto, realizing that Black Zetsu senses them, volunteers to distract BZ and Kaguya while Sakura and Obito hide in Obito’s dimension.
In the last chapter, it seemed that when Black Zetsu said that three got in, but two vanished, he meant two Naruto clones vanished. Now we see the reality is that the two who vanished were Sakura and Obito, while a Naruto clone - not the real Naruto - remained to fight Kaguya. This clone was the Naruto that was killed last chapter, while the real one remained in the previous dimension, along with his army of clones.
Kaguya, having returned to that dimension, continues to fight this army, determined to keep Naruto from getting any closer to Sasuke. She notices that the real Naruto has black guododama behind him.
The real Naruto has a halo of the black Truth-Seeking Balls.
Now back in the dimension they followed Kaguya to, Sakura and Obito are in place for the next phase of their plan: using Obito’s eye power and Sakura’s chakra boost to open a doorway to the dimension where Sasuke is hidden. It’s a difficult task, and they both have to give their all. Obito’s eyes start bleeding from the strain. Meanwhile, in the desert dimension, Sasuke detects Naruto’s chakra (presumably the clone Naruto who followed Kaguya ) and moves toward it.
Sakura vows to give all she has to recover Sasuke.
Sakura and Obito open doors unsuccessfully at first, and in one attempt, Sakura’s jacket and arm are burned by a sea of acid pouring in from the other dimension. Obito suggests she stop and heal her wound, but she pushes through it, not wanting to waste the chance Naruto gave them. They try again, and this time, they open the right doorway, and can see Sasuke in the distance through the opening.
Run, Sasuke-kun, run!
Sasuke, hearing Sakura’s call, begins to run like hell for the doorway, but he’s too far away, and Sakura and Obito, try as they might, can’t sustain the opening long enough for him to get to it. Luckily, Sasuke has a trick up his sleeve. He has the power to switch places with another location, though there’s a limit on the distance, and he was able to switch with Sakura’s acid-burned jacket. Just as Sakura is about to collapse from exhaustion, Sasuke comes up behind her and catches her in his arms.
And SasuSaku shippers everywhere rejoiced.
Thoughts on the chapter:
What ever happened to “I, the real one…”?
Last chapter, the Naruto with the guododama halo tried to follow Kaguya in her dimensional jump. Mangapanda translates his thoughts as, “I, the real one, will go.” That’s one part of this chapter’s reinterpretation of last chapter’s events that doesn’t seem to fit. I guess the real Naruto was (serendipitously) unsuccessful in making it to the doorway in time?
Did Black Zetsu deceive Kaguya?
Black Zetsu’s assessment of the situation was the reason Kaguya was fooled into thinking she killed the real Naruto. Did BZ deceive her on purpose, or did he just misunderstand the situation himself?
Kaguya and the real Naruto
Now Kaguya knows how to tell Naruto apart from his clones. I expect her to try and take advantage of that knowledge next chapter. Still, the guododama are powerful, so Naruto will probably put them to good use defending himself. (When did he start manifesting those, anyway? After meeting with the Sage? Has he actually used them yet?)
Sakura and Obito
A lot of fans have noticed that Sakura and Obito have formed a surprisingly friendly team. Some speculate that she may remind him of Rin. Obito’s burning out of his eyes and other recent clues suggest he will probably die soon. I wonder how Sakura will react.
Sakura’s moment in the spotlight
Of course, one of the main points of interest in the chapter is that Sakura finally has the chance to do something unquestionably useful in the fight. The implications of that something being essential to rescue Sasuke are interesting, especially considering how dismissive he was of her usefulness so recently. Anyway, I’m glad to see Sakura get her chance to shine, though I expect it won’t last beyond this chapter.
Ship tease
And no discussion of this chapter would be complete without comment on the interaction of Sakura and Sasuke. From a Watsonian perspective, it’s by no means a romantic moment, but the emotional intensity of the scene, and the way it’s designed visually are, IMO, highly suggestive. In particular, the two side by side panels of intense gazes between the two and the circumstances that allowed Sakura to show more skin than usual on the panel when Sasuke catches her amount to a visual tableau that signals a certain level of sexiness. Whether this is Kishimoto simply “ship teasing” the SasuSaku fans (I am told it’s the most popular het ship among Japanese fans), or indicative of his intention of eventually pairing them off is open for debate. But I think the way the scene is designed is clearly meant to signal romance (from a Doyalist point of view).
Joie