184 | the Naruto reread continues

[straightforwardly]

► The current SSSS chapter (19) has such pretty coloring/lighting. (I don’t have too much to say about what’s currently going on, though; right now, I’m content to sit back and wait to see where this is going.)

► I’ve picked up my Naruto reread again! Now that I’ve finally powered through that large chunk that I don’t own/had to read online (i.e., volumes 20-26), my reread’s starting to pick up speed again.

• I watched very little of the anime back in the day, but one of the bits I did watch was the battles with the Sound Four—specifically, the Chouji and Neji battles. But, unlike the other bits and pieces I saw of the anime (which, for the record, were mostly scattered episodes from the Gaara rescue arc, though I also watched the one centered around Sasuke’s flashback about Itachi/the massacre), I’d never actually read the manga version of those scenes until now.



• Speaking of Itachi, TEARS. Watching him in those flashbacks was heartbreaking.



• Also, now that I’m rereading Sasuke’s flashback of the lead-up to the massacre, it’s even more obvious that I remembered that there was Something More going on with Itachi. (I still feel so vindicated about being right about that, even if I didn’t get the details down.) But seriously! He looks so sad when telling Sasuke his “reasons” for killing the clan. Just look at it:
  
  
  
  That is not the face of someone gloating about his abilities.



• Pardon my language, but I definitely had a “fuck you, Fugaku” moment when he finally gave Sasuke the recognition he craved—only after Itachi started going downhill. SUSPICIOUS TIMING, much?
  
  To kid!Sasuke’s credit, he picked up on that, though he did buy Mikoto’s “oh, he only talks about you when we’re alone!” excuse. At least, I read it as an excuse—I can’t remember if there was anything later in the manga that confirms or denies it.



• Naruto’s speech to Sasuke about how they’re friends actually made me tear up a little, ahahaha (even as I was simultaneously going, “yeah, no, he’s not worth it”).



• Another sharp jab to my feelings was Kakashi reaching the Valley of the End & seeing Naruto lying there and thinking, “am I too late?”



• I’d completely forgotten that Zetsu was shown so soon! In my mind, he was in the “introduced in part two” category, but nope.



• Another thing I’d forgotten: how strongly Shikamaru was affected by the retrieve Sasuke mission. It was touching. Also, on the subject of Shikamaru: when he and Tsunade talk about medic nin, it suddenly struck me that he would actually possibly not be bad at it. He has a lot of those qualities Tsunade made. (It would also make much more sense than Ino as a medic nin. Never getting over that.)

That’s all I had to say about the end of part one! Now, moving on to part two…

• Ridiculously excited to see Deidara again. ♥ Also, I love the Deidara vs. Gaara fight. It’s one of the few that I both read and watched animated. (Honestly, I love pretty much this entire arc? It’s really good—part two definitely kicked off with a bang.)



• You know what else the Rescue Gaara arc is good for? Sand Sibling feelings. Temari’s face when she hears about her brothers being in danger! The way she slumps in relief when Sakura saves Kankuro!



• Also, on that note, I did not remember that there was any fuel for Temari/Sakura (which has been a beloved rarepair of mine for some years now), but this arc actually gave me some. <3 Granted, it’s not much—mostly Sakura calling out to her/being the one to tell her about Gaara being in danger, them being on the same (literal) page for a little while, and Sakura saving Kankuro—but I’ll take what I can get. ♥ ♥ ♥



• There is one fight in this arc that’s better than the Deidara vs. Gaara fight, and that’s the Sasori vs. Sakura fight! <33 I love it, I love it, I love it. Sakura screaming her determination at Sasori! Sasori being SO SHOCKED by her having figured out the antidote to his poison! :D Both him and Chiyo being surprised/admiring her for figuring out how to fight against him so quickly! It’s all so good. <3



• I basically cried through the whole end of the arc, starting from when Naruto started crying over Gaara. Chiyo’s sacrifice and (nearly) everything she said, Sakura’s reaction, Gaara coming back, everything about Kankuro and Temari, just, everything.