Naruto Chapter 363: Sasuke's Death

***Updated 8-7-07***

Summary: All parties noticed the huge explosion caused by Deidara. Zetsu report to the Akatsuki that Deidara (and probably Tobi) died with Sasuke. In reality, Sasuke summoned and hid in Manda, Orochimaru's snake, and escaped into the summon's dimension before regrouping with Team Hebi (Manda died in the process). Meanwhile, an unidentified character charges the Akatsuki leader, Pein, with the task of capturing the Nine-Tails.

SnowyOwl Says: Lots to say for this chapter. You can all thank Candalabra for reminding me to update! :)

[They call him genius for a reason] - I gotta hand it to Sasuke this time. Escaping into the summon's dimension to escape nuclear-bomb-sized explosion was clever. But 1) if he was at his limit, where did he find the chakra needed to summon?, and 2) why Manda? I mean, that's overkill. Only Naruto can accidentally summon a creature that big. There must have been a bigger-than-human but more-chakra-efficient snake he could have summoned (unless unlike the toad family, contracts with a snake didn't extend to other snakes?). Anyway, this puts a serious damper on my theory that there would be an epic next-generation sannin battle between the former Team Seven. Maybe Sasuke can find an even bigger snake before then, but it just wouldn't be the same. Maybe Kabuto can fuse with it and bring it back from the dead ::shudders::

[Depth-perception is Moot in the Narutoverse] - The explosion occurs far into the horizon and behind a mountain and all of Team Hebi is worried about Sasuke. How in hell's bells did Sasuke even get that far? My brain hurts.

[Anti-Sakura is still Sakura] - I thought it was amusing that Karin the Sakura stand-in has the inverse personality as young!Sakura. Whereas Inner Sakura was brash and Outer Sakura was more shy with Sasuke, Karin is shy internally and brash outwardly with Sasuke. Inverse or not, because she reminds me of old SasukeFanGirlUseless!Sakura, Karin bugs me. Maybe unfairly so, but she does.

[Deception in the dark and the Shadow King] - Intrigue amongst the Akatsuki! I'm very surprised to meet someone in a position to order the leader of the Akatsuki around and there seems to be even more conspiracy surrounding Sasuke than originally thought. There's obviously an ulterior motive if Pein lied about Sasuke's survival to the others. Perhaps to prevent anyone*coughitachicough* from intervening? Ooo! What is that master plan? How is Sasuke and the capture of Kyuubi related (if at all)? I have a tingling feeling that the new Shadow King may be someone we already know...

[You gotta love the bad guys] - Word, Kisame. My respect for this guy grows every time he appears. And you know Tobi isn't dead. Zetsu was confident Sasuke died and is totally wrong; Tobi being 'probably' dead must mean he's not dead at all. (Unless the announcement was part of the conspiracy?) And Pein and the girl (I think the fandom already dubbed her 'Blue' but I'm not sure) seem very cool in a powerful-yet-level-headed way. I can't wait to see more of them and hopefully level-headed != boring. For some reason, I really like this frame:

Witherwing writes:

Gomen, gomen for the late update once again.

Man, talk about your misleading titles. For a moment I thought it was true because, well, he blew up and then there's the title, and the people saying he's dead. I mean, after Orochimaru died in two seconds nothing will surprise me anymore.

[The genius of Sasuke] Maybe Sasuke wasn't at his limit. Deidara only assumed that he was because he was having trouble standing. Maybe it was a physical limit but not a chakra limit.
How did Suigetsu have the scroll for summoning? Did Sasuke tell him that if the snake fades after it feels like he is dead, summon the giant snake? What would have happened if he wasn't summoned back? He would have been digested by Manda.

Gotta love Suigetsu's one-liners (page 13) 'Ah, he died.'

I'm sad to say that I agree with Karin, even injured, Sasuke looks cool.

[Manda] Maybe Manda was one of a kind and din't have little snake babies for Sasuke to use. Or it might take too long to hatch another basilisk under a frog.

[The bad guys] I wonder how the akatsuki learned to halogram themselves to comunicate. That's better than star wars.
What's with Pein's crazy eyes? There like Kurenai's. Kinda.

Next chapter, Shadow king revealed!

Naruto Chapter 362: Masterpiece

Summary: Deidara and Sasuke are both too exhausted to fight. Deidara doesn't answer Sasuke's demand to know the whereabouts of Itachi; instead he yells that he can't stand the Uchiha brothers for their indifference to his art and, in a final attempt to defeat Sasuke, Deidara turns himself into a bomb and creates a gigantic explosion.

SnowyOwl Says:

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Ooookaaaaay....In at attempt to keep this blog PG-13, I'll refrain from--*ahemcough* well...

Alright, what's up with these freaky Akatsuki?!? Where does Deidara keep his other organs? What's with the Jack-o-lantern black mass of Doom? Before, Naruto and Gaara were set apart as jinchuuriki by transforming bodily in some form. That's why they were frightening. So now everyone's a monster? Next to Zetzu the Plant, Kakuzu the Tentacle, Hidan the Headless, and Deidara the Bomb, Itachi and Kisame seem really normal.

One reason the series is so captivating is because the characters have amazing abilities despite being human. Somehow, having Deidara transforming into something like Naruto in 4-tail Kyuubi form undermines Naruto and the other jinchuuriki somewhat. And if the Akatsuki can subdue full-on biju anyway, why do they even need to capture them? They can just sic different Akatsuki members on defenseless countries and hire the rest of the team out to 'control' the crazy. (Hidan, I choose you!)

But, I am glad that Deidara went out with a bang. I've been waiting for it for the past few chapters now; there was really no other way for him to go that wouldn't disrespect him as a character. He went on his own terms, in the form that he admired most.

I was struck by his last words though. His beef with the Uchihas is they look down on him and what he holds dear, with indifference, without acknowledgment. This trait seem to extrapolate to everything else (as another explosive blond found). They're arrogant, they take things for granted, as if the world owes them something; things desirable are not earned but deserved, and that which they don't desire is beneath them, and thus the world holds no wonder for them. The tragedy of the Uchiha is that they are gifted with the most amazing eyes that refuses to see.

Witherwing writes:

Ummmm..... O_o I have no words. What do you think Deidara's mom was thinking when her son was born with three extra mouths? Ew! Was the reason he had to keep it his last mouth sewn up because it would have eaten his shirt otherwise?

I don't see why they don't try to take over other countries just by themselves. I mean, they've already captured the Kazekage. The other ones should be a piece of cake. But I guess they just want more power.

Those eyes again. It's not enough that the Uchihas are messing up their own lives but they have to take everyone down with them. I feel that Deidara thinks that the Uchihas are looking down on him because he, in fact, feels inferior. I mean, Sasuke knows this was a tough battle, he just learned not to show his emotions since he was really small. I don't know, I didn't feel that there was any arrogance when he was looking he was just stoic. Cause when you lose your cool, you just might blow up.

Naruto Chapter 361: Weakspot

**Updated 7-18-07**

Summary: Sasuke is caught inside a C4 bomb, but survives by defusing the microscopic bombs in his body. Both exhausted of chakra, Sasuke lands a punch on Deidara and tells him how he strategized against Deidara. Deidara's earth jutsu are weak against lightning.

SnowyOwl Says:

Again, I'm pleased that Sasuke didn't win the fight easily - the boy CAN get hurt, even if he's got his Spinny Eye of Insight. It reminds me of his fight with Lee, where he knew what he needs, but couldn't execute. And it reminds all of us that he's not invincible, which gives Itachi/Kabuchimaru an opportunity to give him a beatdown and Naru & co. a reason to believe he's in danger and save him.

Though, I don't see how turning the chidori on himself could have hurt: the electricity is generated from his body, so it's already there. Like how Pyro can't really get burnt. And it's nothing new that Sasuke can see chakra, so were the bombs emanating chakra from underground?

Sasuke...punched Deidara. The ninja known for his graceful and well-planned style won with a fist to the face. Reminds me of Naruto winning his epic fight with Gaara with a head-butt.

Verdict: mixed. A bit annoying that Sasuke got everything right (no one but Shika and Kaka gets the honor, and they make mistakes too!) but vindicated because the execution wasn't effortless.

Finally, here's a little something to thank you loyal handful of readers: Naruto the Abridged.* Watch it. Love it. You're welcome.

*Rampant with swearing and character/show bashing. You have been warned.

Witherwing Writes:

No one ever said that Sasuke was invincible. I mean, he works hard for what he can do. He just has a sucky attitude about it afterwards. He's like the Prince of Tennis, only less likable. I don't think that it was the chidori that hurt him. Maybe he's just tired. Ew, now he has all these dead clay bugs in his bloodstream. A little insight to what Shino must feel like.

Don't worry all Sasuke proved was that he can analyze situations and do some misdirection. He still has yet to prove that he can plan 40 steps ahead and leave Deidara's head in a ditch somewhere.

And while we have mentioned Naruto's head-butt-of-doom, I'd also like to remind you that he also did the thousand year of pain. Hehe.

Naruto Chapter 360

**Updated 7-18-07**
Summary: Deidara creates a gigantic bomb in his likeness, which breaks down into microscopic explosives that is inhaled by living organisms. Deidara celebrates as Sasuke disintegrates, but this short lived as Deidara is punctured in the chest by the real Sasuke, who reveals that he had trapped Deidara in genjutsu. The table turns once more, as the injured Deidara turns out to be bunshin, and the real Deidara grabs Sasuke from below and reveals that he has trained his left eye to counter the sharingan.

SnowyOwl Says: Hmm. No chapter title?

So many misdirections, I didn't think I'd survive all these emotional turns. Gah! He's dead. Oh no, he's not! No, yes he is! blah!

-What the? Why did Dei make a ginormous bomb of himself? Perhaps in his warped mind narcissism is the highest form of art?

-I got to cheer with Deidara twice! I'm very happy that Sasuke is needing to work for his victory (oh, you know he'll win - whether or not something/someone interferes is another matter).

-Everyone looks much better without that Akatsuki muumuu (even the crazy sewn-up guy), and Deidara is no exception. But curse you Sasuke for cutting up Dei's arms! Oh wait, he is already.

-When did Cursed-Seal Sasuke lose a shoe?

-I had a very visceral reaction seeing the panel with Sasuke disintegrating. I knew it couldn't end that way (although it would have been four kinds of awesome if it did! Abrupt and simple like Orochi - and wouldn't that throw Naruto and the whole story for a loop!?). But I was seized with a sense of futility and bittersweetness. It was something in illusion-Sasuke's expression of panic, anguish, and the way he looked like a doll or puppet crumbling (rather than something of flesh and blood) and scattered in the wind into nothingness. Even though it didn't turn out to be real, I like to think that it reflected something real in Kishimoto's characterization of Sasuke.


Witherwing writes:

Oh man, Kishimoto got me both times!

Does anyone else find the jumbo Deidara really funny? Just think about how much clay he had to up-chuck to make it that big. And where do you go to practice something like that? And what's Garuda? Maybe the name of his Dei-doll?

Sasuke: dusts
Me: Gasp
Deidara: dies from Sasuke
Me: gasp
Deidara: is alive
Me: gasp
Aw man so exciting.

So Deidara uses his right eye usually because his left eye is usless unless hs is countering genjutsu. I mean, he had it closed then opened the other. (see page 11) Is that why he wears that binocular thing on his eye?

The training of the left eye. How does one do that without something to practice with? Maybe he got Itachi to unknowingly use it on him.

Next: the fight continues!