Naruto Chapter 414: Bull on the Rampage

Summary: Naruto is progressing in his training as a frog sage. Meanwhile, Killerbee attacks Sasuke's team in his full form as the Eight-Tail Bull. Sasuke, recovered after Juugo transfers his flesh and chakra, unleashes the Amaterasu. (Read 414 here)

Serenphoria Says:

Wheeee!

What a jam-packed chapter. On Sasuke's side, the pace and energy was frenetic - you could feel the urgency and hear the chaos of the battle. No time to reflect much, no time for anyone to think hard about the consequences of their actions. Just go go go or perish. I can't wait to see this chapter animated.

[Camaraderie]

Seems like Team Sasuke was especially cohesive in this battle to lead up to drive Sasuke to use the Amaterasu. I'm not sure the technique itself requires an emotional trigger, though its design points in that direction - I mean, its physical manifestation is tears of blood! (And our emphatic narrator says so). I'm hoping that the technique alone isn't enough to defeat the tailed-beast, but I'm interested to see how it might be different from Itachi's.

I also want to clarify that I don't think that the team's cohesion is purely a plot point to get Sasuke to think of Team Seven. There is a reason camaraderie is the single most important force in times of war (and I thought reading All Quiet on the Western Front was pointless in AP English!). You live together, breath together, and hold each other's lives in your hands. It's a bond stronger than steel that can be forged in an instant in battle. That's where our team is now. They may seem a little rag-tag, and individually they may be a bit lacking, but in the thick of it, they'll die for each other, and it's beautiful.

(It's also interesting to note that by this point, Sasuke has experienced more quality time with this team than with Team Seven. Team Seven really only had Wave Country, the second chuunin exam, and the battle with Gaara together.)

Alright, enough sap.

So Juugo did loss mass! Well, at least he did it in a healthy way and didn't stay the same size, but have weaker bone density or something. I don't think he's turned back time, as silly Karin says, he just looks it. Good choice, because now his looks match his childlike mental state and demeanor.

Suigetsu. I'm so confused. What is that state he's in? Is gelatinous his natural state? Is he only in that in-between state of matter because of some reaction to hachibi's attack? And I don't care if he is a water ninja, where in the world did all that water come from?


[The Other Side]

I had completely forgotten that Mr. Host was named Killerbee and I hadn't made the connection that Nibi was from the same village until the random expendable characters said it. I find it interesting that their village 1) had two full-grown jinchuuriki and 2) seem to regard them with respect. The latter I say because the cloud-nin referred to the Two-Tails and Eight-Tails by name (Yugito and Killerbee) and because they ran towards the battle rather than away (unlike with old Gaara).

Cloud-nin: Hey Killerbee, Raikage told you not to transform.
Killerbee: Oh yeah, sorry ::shrinks::
Mostly-Dead Team Sasuke: ...

Wouldn't that be sweet? I half expect it. For Team Sasuke, it's become life or death, but for Killerbee, it was always a bit of a game. That'll teach'em to underestimate their opponent.

Sidenote: Naruto + warts + frog eyes = do not want. :(