Naruto Chapter 377: Hermit-Mode

Summary: All of Jiraiya's attacks are blocked. (Read 377 at One Manga)

SnowyOwl Says:

Not too much to say. The bickering frogs were a weak attempt at humor and came off annoying and inappropriate given the situation they are in. And why are ultimate defenses always in the form of ridiculous animals? (Gaara's Tanuki defense anyone?) It there something lost in translation or cultural that I'm missing?

Looks like Pain can see through his summons' eyes. In that case, those three really shouldn't stand next to each other if they want to take advantage of that.

I love Jiraiya and all, but I'm getting bored. Can we go back to Naruto (or Sasuke) already? I'm having Kiba and Suigetsu withdrawls.

Witherwing Writes:

A few thoughts -
Who are the two that were summoned? Ninja's under a spell? Puppets? What's with the piecings? Not cute!

Is anyone else weirded out by how uncool Jiraiya's jutsu is? Hair-needle barrage? The crouching, the punching. So not hip.

Naruto Chapter 376: The Destined Child

Summary: Jiraiya enters hermit mode, accompanied by two elderly toad summons. They believe that Pain is the prophesized 'destined child,' Jiraiya's student who will either bring peace to the world or destroy it. Pain summons two humans to join the battle. (read 376 at One Manga)

SnowyOwl Rants:

- Hermit-mode -
Looks ridiculous in an un-awe-inspiring way. I was hoping the most powerful of the sannin would have a really cool-looking mode, but I suppose it's consistent with his goofy persona.

[side note: I am actually disappointed he had a 'mode' at all. Through a literary lens, the good guys win and persevere by being true to themselves. It's the bad guys who go against nature and draws power from external sources and thus, mutate themselves.]

- Prophecy -
Instant negation of Naruto's (the title character still, mind you) value of making one's own future. And the quick conclusion that Pain is the destined child is either blatant misdirection or the characters are really dumb. The froggy hermits experienced preposition confusion. It isn't that Pain will bring peace or destroy the world. He will bring peace by destroying the world. The most obvious counter-conclusion is that Naruto is the destined child who will bring peace as a leader/influencer of leaders or tragically destroy it as Kyuubi.

SnowyOwl Raves:

- "Jiraiya-chan" -
*grins* yeah, he was young once.

- Destined Pervert -
"You will become a pervert without equal..." I laughed pretty hard at that. What a pointless prophecy, and self-fulfilling perhaps? I wonder what is the book that he was destined to write that will change the world. Was it meant to be part of Icha Icha or something else entirely.

Witherwing Writes:

I was so distracted by the warty nose (and overall wartyness of everything else) that it has eclipsed all else in this chapter.