A Series of Unfortunate Deceptions

This volume kicks off with a furious game of tag as Sasuke chases after Itachi in search of answers—or rather, have Itachi admit to what Sasuke already knows.

The Uchiha brothers’ relationship is so fraught with tragic misunderstandings that it’s not surprising that Sasuke ended up as one of Naruto’s biggest antagonists.

The problem lies in good intentions. As you all remember, Itachi died without ever telling his younger brother that he massacred the entire Uchiha Clan in order to essentially save Konoha. He fanned the flames of Sasuke’s hatred for him in the hopes that Sasuke would put the blame entirely on his older brother, and remain a loyal ninja of Konoha. We can only assume that Itachi’s dream for Sasuke was that he would create a new legacy for the Uchiha Clan from the ground up. 

You can go back and forth arguing about how idealistic, or misguided, or maybe even naïve Itachi’s plans for Sasuke were after all that happened, but the fact is that he meant well. Unfortunately, it’s not the thought that counts in this case. When Tobi finally tells Sasuke the truth, all Itachi’s attempts to paint himself as the villain take on an entirely new meaning for Sasuke.

In a twist Itachi never intended, Sasuke comes to view Itachi as the victim and unwilling martyr for Konoha. Konoha, then, becomes the target of his rage. 

Itachi is the main driving force for Sasuke’s revenge, so it’s no surprise he wants to talk to the reincarnated Itachi and validate his reasons for going to war against his own village. And obviously, not everyone gets a chance to talk to their deceased loved ones, so Kishimoto presents us with an intriguing what-if scenario: Itachi, forever loyal to Konoha, has the power to sway Sasuke from his destructive path…but that all depends on how much Itachi reveals, and how well (or poorly) Sasuke takes it.

Will Itachi be able to change Sasuke’s mind and put him back on the right path? Or is it far too late for that? 

Although it’s clear that both brothers want to have closure with each other, a battlefield is not exactly the best place to have a chat. Especially when they’re both suddenly confronted with Kabuto, who’s looking a lot scalier than the last time we saw him.

Itachi and Sasuke need to take down Kabuto and stop his Edotensei jutsu, but Kabuto is not going to make it easy for them. Kabuto has quite a few surprises up his sleeves, literally—let's just say there’s a lot of reptiles involved, and body parts growing out of places they shouldn't be growing out of.

For readers who have developed a fondness for Kabuto, you do get a compelling backstory for why Kabuto is the way he is. The story is tragic—as you’d expect judging from how he turned out—but it also serves to highlight further how the machinations of the village elders have allowed kids to fall through the cracks, and subsequently turn to a life of evil. You may not like Kabuto, but Kishimoto has a wonderful way of making us sympathize with his villains regardless.

Happening concurrent with this battle is the five Kages versus Madara. The success of their battle depends on the Uchiha brothers getting Kabuto to release the Edotensei, but that doesn’t mean they’re just going to wait it out! While main focus of this volume is Itachi and Sasuke, you still get some pretty good fight scenes between Tsunade and Madara. Tsunade’s retort to Madara’s taunt that she’s weak just because she’s a woman is especially awesome, and should have both female and male fans cheering. 

Naruto volume 61 is available 05/07/12 from VIZ.com!

by Gretchen Smail