Ambiguity is for losers- The Uchiha Sasuke contemplation post

[weekend_exile]

Here's a subject that I've been trolled incessantly by (and have counter-trolled, I admit) ever since the first Sasuke and Sai arc (chapters 282-310 in the manga, episodes 33-53 holy shit that's a lot in the anime) of Naruto Shippuden: why certain fans (including myself) are so unfailingly faithful to Sasuke when he clearly is a massive penis

Comments

[kalishaka]

I honestly think Sasuke's inherent darkness, his focus on growing up in love and turning it into hate which contrasts directly with Naruto's growing up in hate and turning it into love, is exactly what makes him interesting. The Part I arc lets you know a broken child, who, without his permission, forms connections, forms a new family. He lets himself be distracted from his personal mission to kill Itachi because it seems something more disconnected from his reality. All of that gets shattered upon Itachi's return. Sasuke is overcome by guilt. Not just for not yet being strong enough to murder Itachi, not just for putting that mission on hold...almost forgetting it at times, but also for forming new connections, for moving on. Essentially this is a child who hates himself for being able to live, for being able to love, to form friendships, when everyone he had loved and been connected to was murdered. And in the end, upon his exit, he forms the code he currently lives by with his actions at the Valley of the End. He will go as far as

[weekend_exile]

I agree, there's quite a large fanbase asking for the Sasuke we all knew and loved (because we did, unequivocally, way more than we loved Naruto himself at times) back, that the child who was flawed but had a streak of decency constantly fighting through. And yes, Itachi showing up drastically changed Sasuke's attitude to everyone around him, though that might have something to do with the fact that Itachi explicitly stated that Sasuke wasn't worth his time. Like you said, guilt for being a child for once and liking it, and possibly jealousy too, since, after all, newly-formed bonds notwithstanding, Itachi is the center of Sasuke's universe

[kalishaka]

I actually really agree with most of this assessment, so I might have just worded myself a bit off...but like I believe in Sasuke's mind he feels that he has made all the choices he would have made and wouldn't change a bit of that. I guess I think, there is something about his younger self and who he is now that brings up the idea of who Sasuke wanted to be and who he needed to be. And I think those two ideals which initially seemed to be exactly the same, have become two very different things. Because I think, in child-like naivety, Sasuke believed that once he murdered his brother, avenged his clan, he would come back and reform what was taken from him. Now, this quickly shifts and mutates as he grows, even before he leaves Konoha, I think he already knows that isn't going to be what happens, making his first choice of need versus want. And I think that defines his moral compass in a lot of ways. He doesn't want to kill, he needs to kill. He needed to avenge his clan. He needed to gain power. He needed to keep his body. And I

[weekend_exile]

This particular subject tends to devolve into nothing more than a battle of semantics and leaving me feeling like a lawyer and a massive dick, so apologies for any misunderstandings.:) And we're both coming from the same place, clearly, so yay for Sasuke. ^_^

From what I've read, most people are of the opinion that Sasuke has to 'redeem' himself from the stuff he's done (that thing with Karin comes to mind, hope this isn't spoilery for you) and that the only way he can do that is by coming home and reverting back to the angel-faced prickly bastard with a heart of gold that he was when he was twelve. But, as you pointed out, this is ridiculous. Sasuke realized early on that he had to sacrifice what he wants, what he would like to be, in favor of what he needed to do. What's admirable is that he kept a clear vision of said goals, and never strayed beyond that. I know he's been called heartless for putting his/his clan's/his brother's revenge before other human lives (again, Karin) but he only does so when he has absolutely no other

[weekend_exile]

Lol, I posted this after being seriously pissed off at a (positive, no less!) review I got for a story of mine. I mean, I know that a lot of the stuff that gets said on fic archives have to be taken with a pinch of salt, but I have my set of berserk buttons and saying that they wish that Sasuke was good is one of them, not only for the utter redundancy of it. I am a ridiculous ranty person who has a thing for specificity (which is a word, as it turns out) so I get annoyed by stuff like generalizations and take it out on you innocent bystanders. I'm like godzilla in most ways

[ylmik_wisty]

Okay first off "bless this post" because it is nice to hear the thoughts of people who love Sasuke but don't out his supposed gooey hot teenager angsty tortured soul. I really agree that it's his strength of will and drive that impresses me and made me admire him for a long point (lately the manga is just weird to me, but that's deviating for the second). Also, you are one of the few other people I've heard mention liking Sasuke but not caring for Itachi. ITACHI'S ACTIONS STILL CREEP ME OUT. Can I really be the only one

[ylmik_wisty]

omg I had to split in two because it was getting too long. I could go on and on about Sasuke's actions and why I still root for him: because his pain and anger is justified, because he has such a strong willpower to not be passive or topple over from his devastating situation, that he stands up and fights and abandons the village, MOVING, ACTING, that he is not entirely blind to how his goals appear to others but that he is also perfectly aware that no one else can do this for him and that he WILL be an avenger because the world is unfair and he will enact his brand of fairness/vengeance/justice, his love for his family, and the cherished intrinsic part of him that responded to Naruto and resulted in him caring about him and how that care was key to fostering their mutual bond, etc. Lately, though a lot is incomprehensible to me (Hokage, Sasuke? Really? How are you going to take that title, by pounding into everyone's skulls how wrong the village was and that he deserves to take top seat?), his seeking to eradicate the root of the

[rosalui]

Unsurprisingly, I agree with you on just about everything.

Also Itachi. I appreciate the backed-into-a-no-win-corner-as-a-young-kid-and-slightly-crazy-but-loves-his-brother thing, but everyone's in love with him and I'm just here like "son, u still a shithead"

[ylmik_wisty]

I didn't know you held that opinion of Itachi. That made me laugh!

[ext_2231852]

I think I like the things people hate about him, and I think Naruto feels the same

[weekend_exile]

Argh, my thoughts exactly! Sasuke's such a classic example of a cool kid, he doesn't even seem to register what his haters are saying about him. And Sasuke and Naruto are friends, as you pointed out, they don't need reasons to defend each other, they just do it

[ylmik_wisty]

You don't conquer hatred by beating your evil clone behind a waterfall, sorry Naru, Kishimoto writes your story like fairy tale

LOL. That made me laugh.

And shame on Kishimoto for using retarded patriotism to justify genocide.

Agree. Agree to most everything you said.