Recent Naruto Manga (Chapters 400+)

[PokettoKunoichi]

*Hugs Madara tightly*

Mine. *cough*

How will the Akatsuki be able to summon the Kyuubi if there are only two Mangekyo users now? =O

Oh, and I agree with the character depthness. That's why I like this series a lot. XD

[guitargeekette]

As for 405...such a tearjerker, I usually just think that drama fillers are lame, but...this was sad....seeing Tsunade cry did it for me. And seeing Naruto just being sad, not angry, not vengeful just sad...that was kinda cool.

[Doubleshadow]

This chapter had a nice combination of character development and story progression. It's been nice to see characters doing something that we don't get to see much of, such as Iruka, Kurenai, and Shizune. I'm interested to see what Shizune digs up during the autopsy.

[LadyRushia]

I like that girl with the spiral glasses who was crushing on Shikamaru, XD. She's so cute!

[Mave]

It was refreshing to see the other characters. Shika proves to be my fav. again.

I truly feel sorry for Tsunade. All the men she cares for keep biting the dust.

I have the opposite opinion of that girl who crushed on Shika but hey, for once, it's not about Sasuke.

[uc pseudonym]

Anyone else fairly disappointed by the solution to the code? Really, how reasonable is it that Jiraiya has the first character of every page of his book memorized?

I'm also tempted to go back and check if the "nine" was really a different character when it was originally shown, but I don't remember the exact chapter and don't want to go searching around for this.

[LadyRushia]

Eh, I think it's a little bit cool that his books are now kind of important. This whole code thing seems like another way to delay the end, which I'm pretty sure is coming soon given that both Sasuke and Pain are planning attacks on Konoha.

And I think I remember the "nine" always being like that.

[Mave]

For comparisons - didn't take too long to find on my comp

[randomuser83]

I hope it doesn't end to soon and abrupt. There still so much story left to unveil and so many characters to develop. Episodes that give us more insight into the characters are the ones I really like.

[uc pseudonym]

For comparisons - didn't take too long to find on my comp

Ah, you have a better way to search these? What I was actually wondering was about the first time we see Jiraiya write the code - whether his 9 really has the extra tail. I would hope it did, because putting in a code with no thought as to the solution would be extremely sloppy.

[guitargeekette]

Hmm as for that 9/'ta' katakana character being discovered by only Naruto...seemed a bit far fetched to me, normally Shika would be all over that. And are those people to be official code breakers?? I mean come on.

[R. Zion]

I know they said a few chapters ago that the First Hokage arranged it so each of the major nations had one Bijuu, but with both the Eight- and the Two-tails residing in the Cloud Village, I'm surprised that no one's objected to a nation having more than one Jinchuuriki. Honestly, as good as it is to see Lightning Country, why not make the 8-tails a Stone Village Shinobi. We haven't heard much from them since the Kakashi Gaiden and Deidara.

[Doubleshadow]

Alright, minor grave-dig.

Here we have a chapter with some things that caught my eye.

1.) Possibly due to the juxtaposition with Bleach and its characters from many races and ethnicities, even with the Japanese names despite their appearance *coughRangikucough* I noticed Naruto didn't have any characters with dark skin. Seems the manga-ka has changed that, even if he tossed a stereotype in there while he was at it. (Word!)
2.) Frog Naruto is possibly the lamest idea he has had. First he's a fox, now a frog. *face palm*
3.) There is a little more character development for Sasuke's team, although it is still quite weak. However, we got some insight into Sasuke's feeling towards his new and old teams. Quite nice from a character who is the personification of emotional constipation.

*considers that last sentence*

Word!

[LadyRushia]

lol yeah, I liked Sasuke's thoughts at the end. It supports my idea for an epic Naruto-Sasuke tag team in the end, XD.

[uc pseudonym]

I'm happy that a new character with a tailed beast actually matters, as opposed to showing up in order to get captured by Akatsuki immediately. This is more like what I expected earlier. At first I was wondering how this conflict would play out, but with Sasuke's emotional part at the end I think I can imagine.

2.) Frog Naruto is possibly the lamest idea he has had. First he's a fox, now a frog. *face palm*

Sage chakra also joins the list of ideas that feel like they were invented relatively recently.

[Bap]

Is it bad I saw the eight tailed beast and thought:

"LOL, IT'S AN OXTOPUS!"

...;_;

[Mave]

I'm pretty pleased that this character is whupping Sasuke's team around instead of being caught too easily (like what UC said). Does anyone remember that lady that had the beast whom Hidan&whathisname was trying to capture? She was defeated within so few panels, I almost cried.

Naruto seems to be training forever so I'm ignoring the whole frog thing.

That last page was probably the most meaningful thing I've seen in the series recently. It's not about OOC pairings, thank you very much. If Sasuke instead had a flashback of ONLY Naruto declaring something like "You're my friend! I'll fight to bring you back, protect you..etc." I would seriously roll unto floor in a fit and start composing hatemail for Kishimoto-san. LOL

[MasterDias]

So...

This last chapter has caught my interest somewhat. The Raikage is now involved. This is what I've basically wanted to see for awhile, since the entire series is so Konoha-centered.

Also, we now have a team with an inverted-gender ratio; two girls, and a guy...

[LadyRushia]

Yeah, though I'd rather the existing females be made into epic fighters, these chicks look promising. I'm interested in seeing how the whole Raikage thing plays out given the whole thing with the Hyuuga clan that he alluded to. It would be cool if Neji and Hinata became more involved at this point.

[Doubleshadow]

So, rather than wrapping up the series, it would appear we are moving into another arc instead.
I'm pleased at getting a chance to see more of how other villages treat their jincurikki. Yugito and Killerbee look to have been well treated by the Cloud. After giving this way too much thought, I conclude that jinchurriki are not automatically feared and hated, but rather Naruto was unlucky enough to be associated with a very horrific memory, and Gaara was afflicted with a disasterous upbringing and the psychological consequences of insominia. He's definitely better now that he and his siblings are free from the influences of their father.
I liked the drawing of all the jinchurrkiki together. I wish we knew more about the others. I'm still bummed over not knowing more about Yugiito. Would it be too much to help we'll get flashbacks of how she and Killerbee got along?
Oh, and some stuff in Konoha. It didn't feel developed enough though.

[MasterDias]

Alright, this was really, really low....Kishimoto. What's the point of revealing all of these guys now? I had wanted to see the rest of the demon vessels for quite awhile, but wanted them to take part in the actual story somehow instead of having them revealed in a color spread after most of them are dead. Bleh.

My favorites are the green-haired girl from Waterfall right next to Naruto(That is a girl, right?) and the red-haired bearded guy to the far left.
I just noticed this, but they are all holding up fingers to correspond to the bijuu they carry.

[LadyRushia]

I still have this odd hope that Kishimoto's going to develop all of the old Konoha characters he's completely ignored thus far. This battle would be epic osm if we got to see all of these characters fight and get some insight into who they are before Naruto shows up and saves the village like he's apparently supposed to.

Maybe the dead bijuu will show up in the last battle. I don't see why he'd bother with designing them if he's not going to use them somewhere.

[uc pseudonym]

Yes, that cover was an interesting move. If that's all we get of them, though, I don't care.

So, rather than wrapping up the series, it would appear we are moving into another arc instead.

I'd say we're on track according to my estimate. This Konoha attack will create a combat-heavy arc, after which there will be only one or two more. Some major characters will probably die in this battle and we might get a major Sasuke vs Naruto fight. After that there are only the "final boss" villains, so it's just a matter of how long Kishimoto wants to take to kill them. Kabuto will also show up, possibly with his own arc.

[blkmage]

421: Is this the first instance of an animal getting killed?

[Doubleshadow]

421: Is this the first instance of an animal getting killed?

You think a giant centipede qualifies as your typical definition of 'animal'?

Nice. It felt like we are starting to get somewhere. Sakura got to demonstrate some fighting skills, and the loose and that is Danzo that has been flapping in the wind like an advertising banner behind a small plane resurfaces.

...Oh, you meant the frog wearing googles! Yes, that is probably a first.

[LadyRushia]

Nice. It felt like we are starting to get somewhere. Sakura got to demonstrate some fighting skills

Yeah, for the first time in like 300 chapters. Srsly.

I still have this hope that Kishimoto is going to do some epic character developing on his old characters that he's completely ignored, but it probably won't happen.

[Mave]

The only reason I'm posting here is because I am worried about Kakashi.

Pain can burn the rest of the village 'coz Sasuke has gone into hiding and Naruto is being hidden.

Oh I think someone stabbed a frog somewhere back there. That was really mean of Danzo. XP

[LadyRushia]

If Kakashi dies, I'll kind of be surprised. He's someone I never expected to die.
Also, these hints at Ino doing something awesome are making my inner fangirl excited. She hardly has any character development beyond being Sakura's friend/rival.

[uc pseudonym]

This battle is irritating me. Naruto has plenty of minor characters and this would be the good opportunity to use them. At this point the only saving grace is that Naruto himself hasn't gotten involved.

Also, frankly, I don't see how Pain's secret can be anything surprising. Perhaps I'll be wrong, but I think this is being stretched out to ridiculous levels.

[LadyRushia]

So, Kakashi is likely dead? I'm kind of pumped for this Tsunade battle, though, but at the same time I'm getting the feeling that a good number of characters might die in this arc.