Naruto VI: HASHIRAMAAAAAA!!!!!! [spoilers]

[Closet_Skeleton]

Say what you will about Naruto, it's improving the life of people who like memes immensely.

Proxy wars also improve the life of the undeserving.

No, I'm not seriously equating people who like memes with war profiteers. I just think both groups need to die.

[Somewhere]

Blah, late on the ToC comment since nobody put up a scan of the ToC page on the mangahelpers thread. And I was going to try grab the scan of the entire issue itself, but the raw didn't get uploaded on Friday and I haven't had time over the weekend. So here's Viz's translation of Kishi's ToC comment for issue #32:

"To my longtime editor and concept-creator of Killer Bee, Shimazaki-san, thank you for everything. And to Bapti-san, it's great to be working with you!"

Incidentally, from other ToC comments this issue, it seems that this Bapti-san is also the editor for World Trigger and Cross Manage. Apparently he's a nice guy with a cute daughter

Ashihara's comment (World Trigger):
"My studio was shocked by the cuteness of the daughter of my editor, Bapti-san. Talk about world class beauty!"

Kaito's comment (Cross Manage):
"I got the super high-quality macarons I've always wanted and enjoyed them with my staff. Thank you so much, my kind editor Bapti-san!"

[LaZodiac]

Blah, late on the ToC comment since nobody put up a scan of the ToC page on the mangahelpers thread. And I was going to try grab the scan of the entire issue itself, but the raw didn't get uploaded on Friday and I haven't had time over the weekend. So here's Viz's translation of Kishi's ToC comment for issue #32:

"To my longtime editor and concept-creator of Killer Bee, Shimazaki-san, thank you for everything. And to Bapti-san, it's great to be working with you!"

Incidentally, from other ToC comments this issue, it seems that this Bapti-san is also the editor for World Trigger and Cross Manage. Apparently he's a nice guy with a cute daughter

Ashihara's comment (World Trigger):
"My studio was shocked by the cuteness of the daughter of my editor, Bapti-san. Talk about world class beauty!"

Kaito's comment (Cross Manage):
"I got the super high-quality macarons I've always wanted and enjoyed them with my staff. Thank you so much, my kind editor Bapti-san!"

Jeez, the guy scouted Naruto and Cross Manage, AND THEN ALSO WORLD TRIGGER?

I guess people aren't always going to bat a thousand, no matter how good they are

[Morph Bark]

I don't read any manga currently beyond Naruto and Bleach, but I presume then that those two are pretty good ones?

[Ramza00]

New manga is up, obitio shows off

[LaZodiac]

I don't read any manga currently beyond Naruto and Bleach, but I presume then that those two are pretty good ones?

Cross Manage is.

World Trigger is signifigentely not.

Anyway, chapter: no spoiler tags because I've got nothing to say. It was alright.

[Somewhere]

Oh right, public holiday in Japan next Monday, hence the issue coming out on Saturday.
Friggin fantastic, the ToC page scan isn't posted on the mangahelpers thread yet again. Eventually I'll just try navigating 2chan to find the scan myself.

Cross Manage is a series that I like a lot, but sadly it did not click at all with Jump's target audience. Bottom dweller in the polls and sales low enough they don't make the weekly Oricon charts.
Lessee, this is issue #33. Issues #35 and #36 will be debuting new series, so I would expect 2 series to get the axe, in issues #34 and #35 to make room. It is a near lock that Cross Manage will be one of those two. It saddens me, but at least it's been a great ride.
About the series itself... it follows a high school boy who used to play football/soccer before but got injured. In the present, he gets roped by the heroine into becoming the manager of the girls lacrosse team. It's a sports series that splits a noticable amount of focus away from the sport and onto the main characters' growth and their relationships. Some of the supporting characters get solid development too. The artwork is pretty solid; does a good job at distinguishing characters. It's a shame; this series probably would've fared a lot better in another magazine. But on the other hand, it being in WSJ gave it the shot to be brought over to NA, which is probably the only way I would've even heard of it.

World Trigger is a battle series with a sci-fi setting. Mysterious beings from another world can suddenly appear on Earth and attack humans. Humans have set up an organization specifically to fight said beings, utilizing these things called Triggers. Triggers turn into either melee weapons or guns. I think it still has some potential, and I do like some of the ideas. But it moves very, very slowly. I don't blame anyone who'd get turned off by the pace. It also really didn't help that a few of the first ten chapters were kind of filler.
Not a lot of battles so far; lot of exposition so far. In just the last chapter, ch 21, it finally formalized our main trio as a team.

[Olinser]

Hmm, looks like I was pretty far off on how this ended up.

However, new theory time!

Obito appears to be in a mode similar to Naruto's 9-tails chakra mode.

If it is the same, it means that the Juubi is draining Obito's chakra as he uses the mode. If that is the case - Obito is going to curb stomp everybody present, but then be forced out of the mode by the Juubi. That may be what Madara is counting on.

[Kato]

Well, not much happening... Just a big show of power. I'd say a whole chapter on this is a bit long but meh.


@Olinser: Maybe, but it seems more like Madara has something else up his sleeve. Probably something we have never seen. But as Obito seems to be all-powerful right now I guess he will show them despair. *insert evil laughter*

[LaZodiac]

*Cross Manage*

It was shaping up to be comparable to Eyeshield 21. I hope it stays.

Anyway, on topic! This being sort of like the Nine Tailed Fox chakra mode seems fairly accurate.

[Morph Bark]

I'm curious about Madara's trump card. It seems Obito has just about literally lost his mind though.

[jindra34]

New chapter:

Spoiler

Show

And predictably: OH CRAP, this is bad. Bad to the degree of forcing GOD MADARA to step up his game...

[Olinser]

Well, not much happening... Just a big show of power. I'd say a whole chapter on this is a bit long but meh.


@Olinser: Maybe, but it seems more like Madara has something else up his sleeve. Probably something we have never seen. But as Obito seems to be all-powerful right now I guess he will show them despair. *insert evil laughter*

I really think this may be what Madara planned all along. I mean honestly, did anybody reasonably expect Obito to sacrifice his life to revive Madara?

I'm thinking that Madara pulled a, "I'll go first!" gambit on Obito. Madara tells Obito his plan is to be the Jinchuriki of the Juubi after Obito revives him. So Obito betrays him and becomes the Jinchuriki himself.... just as planned.

There has to be some major negative drawback to being the first one to be the Jinchuriki, that Madara can overcome by being the SECOND one.

Madara may have some technique that either lets him steal the chakra from Obito now that he's in a human, rather than a Bijou, form.

OR, as an alternate, I was thinkin about this earlier. Madara has a Rinnegan.

What seems to kill the user of the Rinne Tensei is the massive chakra drain it takes. So... what if Madara were to use his Rinnegan to revive HIMSELF!?!?!

He has unlimited chakra, so he won't die from chakra loss. Now he's alive, he still has his Rinnegan, and he's suckered Obito into falling on the grenade. Game, set, match!

[Morph Bark]

Y'know, I always figured that the Sage used one specific ability of the Rinnegan to become the Juubi's Jinchuuriki: the ability to absorb chakra.

The Tailed Beasts are creatures made of chakra, and the Juubi's body became the moon, allegedly, so only its chakra was sealed inside of the Sage. Absorbing it and then putting a seal on it so it'd stay inside of him sounds easy enough to me. So Madara could easily "steal" the Jinchuuriki status, maybe.

Obito seems to have turned himself into the Jinchuuriki differently, by using his Kamui to physically merge with the Juubi directly.

[LaZodiac]

Y'know, I always figured that the Sage used one specific ability of the Rinnegan to become the Juubi's Jinchuuriki: the ability to absorb chakra.

The Tailed Beasts are creatures made of chakra, and the Juubi's body became the moon, allegedly, so only its chakra was sealed inside of the Sage. Absorbing it and then putting a seal on it so it'd stay inside of him sounds easy enough to me. So Madara could easily "steal" the Jinchuuriki status, maybe.

Obito seems to have turned himself into the Jinchuuriki differently, by using his Kamui to physically merge with the Juubi directly.

So Obito is Sephiroth now, and he's become one with the life stream? Okay.

[DiscipleofBob]

So Obito is Sephiroth now, and he's become one with the life stream? Okay.

Nonsense, Obito has ten wings, not one.

[Infernally Clay]

I'm curious about Madara's trump card. It seems Obito has just about literally lost his mind though.

I'm thinking something along the lines of Fushi Tensei. I know Orochimaru developed the jutsu himself, but that doesn't mean there isn't a jutsu like it that Madara could use to send his soul into Obito's body and take over.

[Ramza00]

Hmm, looks like I was pretty far off on how this ended up.

However, new theory time!

Obito appears to be in a mode similar to Naruto's 9-tails chakra mode.

If it is the same, it means that the Juubi is draining Obito's chakra as he uses the mode. If that is the case - Obito is going to curb stomp everybody present, but then be forced out of the mode by the Juubi. That may be what Madara is counting on.

not quite the difference is obitio form has a lot of natural energy and thus why half of obitio is scaley

I would not be surprised that it is naruto sage training and balance that saves the day

[LaZodiac]

Nonsense, Obito has ten wings, not one.

Spoiler

Show

[some_geek]

I'm curious about Madara's trump card. It seems Obito has just about literally lost his mind though.

I think that Obito may still be somewhere deep inside whatever is left of his body. Naruto has often 'traveled inside himself' to talk to the 9-tails. I have a theory that Naruto will be going to travel into Obito's mind in a similar way and connect with the other Biju trapped in there...

[Infernally Clay]

I think that Obito may still be somewhere deep inside whatever is left of his body. Naruto has often 'traveled inside himself' to talk to the 9-tails. I have a theory that Naruto will be going to travel into Obito's mind in a similar way and connect with the other Biju trapped in there...

Nah... Obito was able to recreate the Ten Tails by taking only a very small amount of the chakra of the Eight and Nine Tails and combining it with the other seven Biju. Since we know that just half of Kurama is stronger than five of those seven Biju, it's quite possible that giving Naruto the other half of Kurama would give him the power he needs to then take the chakra he was given by the other seven Biju and turn Kurama into a Ten Tails Biju as well (especially if the Eight Tails helps out by giving Naruto a bit of its own chakra as well).

I think we could be looking at a Ten Tails Jinchuriki vs Ten Tails Jinchuriki battle. Much like Sasuke, Gaara and Nagato, in a lot of ways, Obito is who Naruto could have become had he chosen to give into the hatred. It's sort of a running theme of the manga - showing us how the path Naruto has taken has always been the right one. So it's fitting that Naruto and Obito would become "equals", only for Naruto to prove himself to be the stronger man.

[some_geek]

Nah... Obito was able to recreate the Ten Tails by taking only a very small amount of the chakra of the Eight and Nine Tails and combining it with the other seven Biju. Since we know that just half of Kurama is stronger than five of those seven Biju, it's quite possible that giving Naruto the other half of Kurama would give him the power he needs to then take the chakra he was given by the other seven Biju and turn Kurama into a Ten Tails Biju as well (especially if the Eight Tails helps out by giving Naruto a bit of its own chakra as well).

I think we could be looking at a Ten Tails Jinchuriki vs Ten Tails Jinchuriki battle. Much like Sasuke, Gaara and Nagato, in a lot of ways, Obito is who Naruto could have become had he chosen to give into the hatred. It's sort of a running theme of the manga - showing us how the path Naruto has taken has always been the right one. So it's fitting that Naruto and Obito would become "equals", only for Naruto to prove himself to be the stronger man.

With 'connect with Biju' I meant communicate, not really much else, since my theory is not specific about that.

However, 'a fight of words and thoughts', which seems to be the running theme indeed, requires for Naruto to communicate with Obito in some way. That could also be inside Obitos head, if the Biju has taken over Obitos body.

[ben-zayb]

I honestly hope it's the Jyuubi that's in control of Obito actions right now. Otherwise, I can't see from a logical in-story perspective why in the big moon isn't he performing the mugen tsukoyomi yet.

Oh wait... since when did I get the impression that he hadn't done so yet, and all those last pages were merely an illusion? o_o

[LaZodiac]

I honestly hope it's the Jyuubi that's in control of Obito actions right now. Otherwise, I can't see from a logical in-story perspective why in the big moon isn't he performing the mugen tsukoyomi yet.

Oh wait... since when did I get the impression that he hadn't done so yet, and all those last pages were merely an illusion? o_o

The one thing that would of made Sasuke's heel turn face a good plot twist, if we didn't get the hints that he's not actually heel turn face, would be if it's later revealed the Infinite Tsyukoyomi was activated, thus why Sasuke returned all good guy feels and stuff.

[Olinser]

The one thing that would of made Sasuke's heel turn face a good plot twist, if we didn't get the hints that he's not actually heel turn face, would be if it's later revealed the Infinite Tsyukoyomi was activated, thus why Sasuke returned all good guy feels and stuff.

I'm telling ya, Sasuke is in full Dr Horrible mode.

"The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it!"

[Kato]

I honestly hope it's the Jyuubi that's in control of Obito actions right now. Otherwise, I can't see from a logical in-story perspective why in the big moon isn't he performing the mugen tsukoyomi yet.

Oh wait... since when did I get the impression that he hadn't done so yet, and all those last pages were merely an illusion? o_o

I'd guess a ritual concerned with turning the moon into a giant eye takes some time... And as such killing off all the flies who'd bother you while doing it seems like a pretty logical thing.

BUT it would be a good explanation for Sasuke's actions. Too bad this happened much earlier than the Jubi fusion.

[Infernally Clay]

I don't think the Infinite Tsukuyomi has been activated yet. Remember that it will be used to create the world Obito or Madara wants (depending on who uses the jutsu) so, if Obito had already activated it, at the very least Rin would show up out of nowhere.

As for who is in control... Well, we know that not just anyone can withstand the pressure of containing even the Eight Tails. With Kurama, it seems only an Uzumaki can contain the whole thing (everyone else can at most contain half). So, yeah, logically Obito's body isn't strong enough to contain the Ten Tails. While he may have Uchiha and Senju DNA, he never awoke the Rinnegan naturally and we can't ignore the biggest flaw in this plan - even Madara and Hashirama only have an insignificant amount of the Sage's DNA within them. There's no guarantee Madara could contain the Ten Tails either, especially since the difference between him and the Sage should be even greater than the difference between the Biju and the Ten Tails.

[Olinser]

I don't think the Infinite Tsukuyomi has been activated yet. Remember that it will be used to create the world Obito or Madara wants (depending on who uses the jutsu) so, if Obito had already activated it, at the very least Rin would show up out of nowhere.

As for who is in control... Well, we know that not just anyone can withstand the pressure of containing even the Eight Tails. With Kurama, it seems only an Uzumaki can contain the whole thing (everyone else can at most contain half). So, yeah, logically Obito's body isn't strong enough to contain the Ten Tails. While he may have Uchiha and Senju DNA, he never awoke the Rinnegan naturally and we can't ignore the biggest flaw in this plan - even Madara and Hashirama only have an insignificant amount of the Sage's DNA within them. There's no guarantee Madara could contain the Ten Tails either, especially since the difference between him and the Sage should be even greater than the difference between the Biju and the Ten Tails.

I think you have a bit of a misconception - it's not the pressure that they can't contain. It's the fact that the beast is actively trying to break free. From everything everybody in the Naruto world has said, with regards to the Jinchuriki, the only question is WHEN the beast is going to break out - not IF. And it applies to ALL of the tailed beasts. Remember that Obito just told us a couple chapters ago that the mist Ninja put the 3-tailed beast inside Rin, planning for it to break free and go berserk inside Konoha.

Nobody has the willpower or chakra to indefinitely contain a tailed beast that is actively trying to break out. My impression of that necklace that Naruto won from Tsunade was that it was specifically made so Hashirama could help his wife contain the Kyuubi.

Killer B isn't any more suited to containing a tailed beast than any other Cloud ninja. But B basically formed a pact with the 8-tails, so it isn't constantly trying to break free anymore.

Likewise with Naruto - he was barely able to contain Kurama when he was actively trying to break free, even at only half power. Without Minato and Kushina, the Kyuubi would have broken out at least twice - and probably 3 or 4 times, if you include the times that Yamato suppressed him. At full power, they had to wait until Kushina was a fully grown ninja before they were willing to risk putting the Kyuubi inside her. And even then, Minato would have had to help her re-seal the Kyuubi when the seal weakened.

Basically, NOBODY alone can contain a tailed beast forever if they don't want to be contained. They an keep them chained for a while, and use a lot of their chakra for that period, but they are eventually going to break out.

[Sotharsyl]

I'm telling ya, Sasuke is in full Dr Horrible mode.

"The world is a mess, and I just need to rule it!"

Not sure if want ...

I'd be most interested in Sasuke and Hinata's songs though

[Somewhere]

Viz's translation of Kishi's ToC comment for issue #33 since I still haven't seen a scan of the raw ToC page:

"I switched my toilet paper brand. The new one is perfect for me and my hemorrhoids."

....uh, thanks for telling the WSJ audience that, Kishi.

So the version of ch 638 that NA WSJ ran is actually the full colour digital version (I presume as part of the kicking off of the digital version of WSJ in Japan). Three things:
1. When Obito was lying down on the statue before becoming the jinchuuriki, Obito's hair was white!? Or am I not seeing things right?
2. When Obito smashed through Hashirama and Tobirama at the last page, while Tobirama's insides are paper/dust like the usual Edo Tensei zombie, Hashirama's actually brown wood. Consider me surprised. Unless that was a wood clone there.
3. Looking at this in full colour reinforces that I miss Kishi's character design style from part I.