Hey guys, it’s been a bit of wait but we finally have the first Naruto chapter of the year – and what a chapter it is. Finally the cliffhanger can come to an end as we get to see the Seven Swordsmen together in battle for the first time.
Kishi couldn’t have set up the battle any better as Kakashi has enough troops (ie. cannonfodder) to hold off the swordsmen while he goes after Zabuza. This chapter also gave us more insight into Suigetsu’s intentions behind collecting the seven swords, and in the process revealing a surprisingly ‘not-so-evil’ side to him.
There have been a lot of speculations and hype surrounding the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist in the past. We were told they were the elite of the elite and uber-skilled in battle.
They were also unique in that they were the first ninjas introduced in the Naruverse who were identified by their weapons instead of special techniques. Alas, it was soon revealed that the swordsmen disbanded long ago, dashing any hopes of seeing them fighting as a team.
And so, the battle that is occurring right now is a once-in-a-lifetime event; something every ninja there should write home about. Heck, wouldn’t you want to say that you helped the great copy ninja of Konoha defeat the resurrected Seven Swordsmen of the Bloody Mist.
And for those countless nameless ninjas that will be killed in this battle, well, at least they’ll have something interesting to put on their tombstones
Last time I had placed doubt on how badass a battle it would be with the majority of the swordsmen without their weapons.
Well, Kishi has again trolled me and conveniently given them a scroll that summons four of the legendary weapons. Including Zabuza’s beheader sword, that’s five swordsmen with swords now.
I’m still confused by where Zabuza’s sword came from. This chapter shows Suigetsu failing to find the sword in the armory of the prison he and Jugo escaped from. So someone must have retrieved the broken sword sometime between Sasuke’s attack on the kage summit and now – that someone is likely to be Kabuto.
My guess would be that Kabuto was present all along at the summit as he has an unhealthy interest in Sasuke.
He remained hidden until the fighting was over and took the opportunity to pilfer the beheader sword for his collection.
Suigetsu was yapping this whole chapter about collecting the swords and reforming the Seven Swordsmen, but it looks like Kabuto has beaten him to the punch already.
The four swords summoned in this chapter must have either been collected by Kabuto in the past or possibly by Madara during the period when he was effectively th Mizukage. The three unsummoned swords on the scroll are of course Zabuza’s Kubikiri Bōchō (already present), Samehada (in Killer Bee’s possession) and Hiramekarei (Chojiro’s sword).
Zabuza’s sword’s secret power is finally revealed, and you have to admit the ability to regenerate itself using the iron from the blood of people he slaughters is gruesome yet very cool.
If you’ve diligently watched the Naruto anime filler before, you’ll probably recognize the twin swords called Kiba. An ex-swordsman named Raiga used its ability to channel lightning to deal some beats on Naruto and friends in a horribly written filler arc involving resurrection curry and a kid pedo-Raiga stuffed into a bag.
Fortunately, Kishi chose to deny Raiga ever existed and replaced him with one of the Beattles; how awesome is that?
The Kabutowari (Helmsplitter) is an interesting weapon in that it is more like an axe than a sword. It’s basically a hammer attached to a chisel and is meant to break through any type of defence.
Most ninja don’t where heavy armor, but nonetheless it could prove useful in breaking through physical barriers created by ninjutsu.
To me, the Homatsu is just unimaginative. And attaching explosives to a bigass stick doesn’t seem very functional as it places the wielder very close to the explosion.
On the other hand, the Nuibari (Sewing Needle) is probably the most original of the swords and presents one of the sickest ways to kill multiple enemies. Hohzuki Mangetsu, Suigetsu’s brother, is also identified in this chapter.
Suigetsu mentions that Hohzuki had mastered all seven swords at one point – a feat that is likely what inspired Suigetsu to collect the swords.
Kakashi certainly has his work cut out for him, facing seven of the most powerful swordsmen ever, plus three other powerful kekkei genkei users. Sure, Kakashi has a small army behind him, but Zabuza’s mist technique has pretty much forced them to engage in small groups or risk friendly fire (I’m kind of surprised no one in the army has an ability to counter the mist).
But it’s in these tough situations where Kakashi’s ability as a genius tactician really shines.
The combo attack Kakashi laid out in this chapter is very clever, but I feel it may be too complex. If the enemy were to counter even one of the steps, the attack will fail. And also, according to the rules of manga, an attack revealed prior to being carried out is almost certainly doomed to fail, lol.
To be honest, I had a sneaky suspicion Haku would repeat history and do his suicide block somewhere during this battle.
I just didn’t count on Kabuto controlling his body at the time and thus removing the emotional impact of the original scene.
And with undead Haku able to regenerate continuously, he would be able to protect Zabuza all day long. However, I suspect that Kabuto’s tactics may backfire on him.
Even with his soul suppressed, forcing Zabuza to cut through Haku may be too much to ask. I wouldn’t be surprised if it trigger’s Zabuza’s memories and allows him to regain his body next chapter