Naruto Chapter 441: Rasen Shuriken vs. Shinra Tensei

Summary: Naruto battle's Pain in Sage-mode and locates the real Nagato. Team Gai arrives and tends to Hinata. (read 441 here)

Serenphoria Says:

Not much by way of surprises, but color me impressed by Naruto's quick thinking - I think this chapter featured his most mature and clever in-battle strategy to date, especially the bit where he traced Nagato's location. But just to burst my own bubble, I think Kishimoto cheated a little by getting Naruto into sage-mode so easily again. He was a multi-tailed Kyuubi just moments ago, even with daddy showing up, when did he have a chance to be calm?

Sage-mode eyes are growing on me though.

I was always under the impression that Nagato was speaking through Pain...If that's the case, I wonder what difference it would make for Naruto to speak to the original aside from giving Naruto the chance to see how beat up Nagato really is.

Finally! Team Gai arrives. I really hope they have a much larger role to play, or all this waiting for nothing!

I hope I'm not a terrible person because I laughed the line "Look, here's another frog!" Sorry Pa!Frog.

Naruto Chapter 440: A Conversation with the Fourth

Summary: Naruto and the Fourth Hokage have a heart to heart. (Read 440 here)

Serenphoria Says:

*Wibble*

I adored this chapter.

Yondaime is so cool-headed:

K9: Grrrr! Come here!! I'll rip you to shreds!
4: Saying you're going to rip me to shreds isn't going to make me come closer.
...
4: He's too noisy, let's go somewhere else.

And Naruto was perfectly Naruto:

@: (teary-eyed) Dad... *punch*
@: I don't know whether to be happy or pissed off!
@: It's okay, I'm the son of the fourth Hokage, so I can deal.

I can't quite figure out how Yondy knows some things, as if he's been able to see through Naruto's eyes, but is oblivious to other things (like Naruto's age?). Maybe he was just trying to make conversation. At the same time, it seems as though this Yondy wasn't released into existance until Naruto went eight-tails. So how could he have known about Jiraiya?

Too bad Naruto only gets one reset. (Also interesting is that the seal is both outside and inside him at the same time. It's like placing two mirrors facing each other and the reflections go on forever.)

Pain is in for a whooping.

And completely random, but I wonder if Kishimoto saved "Conversation with the Fourth" for the 440th chapter.

Naruto Chapter 439: Chibaku Tensei

Summary: The kyuubi almost reaches nine tails, but is trapped in a gigantic ball of earth. Naruto is mentally trapped and is about to lift the kyuubi's seal, but is stopped by Yondaime. (Read 439 here)

Serenphoria Says:

I had my blogger account open and ready to write yesterday, but found myself a little speechless.

Ah hem.

Yondaime WHUT!
Hollow!Naruto WHUT! (ew!)

Okay, there are a few things I wanted to pick at. First, that is a lot of land mass to be pulling up to contain Kyuubi. Seriously, the whole valley?

Secondly, I was a bit put off by the reason Naruto is mentally trapped. When Naruto had admitted that he didn't have the answer, I saw that as a sign of maturity. But now, it seems as if instead of accepting that and moving forward to find an answer, he's allowed Kyuubi to go all postal while he struggles with it. It also somewhat cheapens Hinata's role: her being attacked may have been the straw that broke the camel's back, but Naruto inability to fight back Kyuubi has nothing to do with her. He's still focused on himself.

Prediction: Yondy will help Naruto subdue the Kyuubi. Nagato will die of a stroke from straining so hard. Talk about your anti-climax :)

Naruto Chapter 438: Breaking the Seal

Summary: Pain is impressed by Naruto-as-six-tailed-fox's power and lures him away from the village. (Read 438 here)

Serenphoria Says:

Ah, not dead.

Kyuubi!Naruto is crazy! I'm not sure what happened, but did he crush his own exoskeleton? He definitely crushed the pendant (oh no! There goes his fortune...I mean, his protection). Does this mean he'll Kyuubify more easily, or does this mean that it's harder to bring him down when he does? (I think it's the former).

Regardless, I'd like to see more of Kyuubi -- visually I'm a fan of muzzly, snarly, cat-eyed Kyuubi!Naruto, not shadow!Naruto with round eye holes.

The only thing that I'd harp on is the fact that a nameless Hyuuga is being used to narrate. I don't know, seems lazy. But on the plus side: Sai!