Yep. Kishi was trying to add depth or layers into an already crap bond for generations to come based on a rivalry of angst.
Pitiful writing all in all. What's worse is that the series is directly written on a 'versus' basis.
Talent v. non talent
Cooperation v. 'soloing'
Potency v. Chakra pool
etc.
It's no wonder that most characters aren't glorified when the series turned upside down. It went from praising hard work to shaming it at the end with the biggest explosion last minute = a glorifying hero.
Let's count how many parallels Kishi tried to push (and how many of those were pushed in the very last moments of the series).
Naruto and Sasuke
Part 1:
Jiraiya and Orochimaru
Hashirama and Madara
Part 2:
Obito and Kakashi (childhood)
Senju and Uchiha generically (curse of hatred (no knowledge of transmigration))
Literally just the War arc and on. Hahaha:
Kakashi and Obito (adulthood)
Hashirama and Madara again (Hashirama flashbacks)
Jiraiya and Orochimaru again (and Tsunade: Sakura)
Ashura and Indra
Hagoromo and Hamura
Ashura and Indra again
It can even be argued that they could be the generic Sun and Moon, due to their Yang and Yin seals, and the new Boruto-Mitsuki parallel.
Let's count how many parallels Kishi tried to push (and how many of those were pushed in the very last moments of the series).
Naruto and Sasuke
Part 1:
Jiraiya and Orochimaru
Hashirama and Madara
Part 2:
Obito and Kakashi (childhood)
Senju and Uchiha generically (curse of hatred (no knowledge of transmigration))
Literally just the War arc and on. Hahaha:
Kakashi and Obito (adulthood)
Hashirama and Madara again (Hashirama flashbacks)
Jiraiya and Orochimaru again (and Tsunade: Sakura)
Ashura and Indra
Hagoromo and Hamura
Ashura and Indra again
It can even be argued that they could be the generic Sun and Moon, due to their Yang and Yin seals, and the new Boruto-Mitsuki parallel.
I mean it's pathetic at this point.... saying the theme is repitive is an understatement. I mean you would of thought Kishimoto would of learned his lesson by now, right?
Hell the funniest thing about the last example is that not only are Boruto and Mitsuki the new Sun/Moon dynamic, but Kawaki is apparently Boruto's enemy, and they also share another connection with the whole light/dark theme (blue/red tattoos crap). Another male on male bond of friendship turned enemy crap.
It's why people can't be too interested in these plot points when these characters basically do things we've already seen a million times .
As has been hammered home more times than necessary, Sasuke and Naruto are two sides of the same coin. One representing goodness, cooperation, unity, and light and the other representing isolation, introversion, vengeance, and darkness. However, Sasuke falls flat on his face in this theme dramatically. I say this not in a bashing manner, but because it's a terrible broken Aesop and makes him objectively flawed, but excuses are pulled out of the woodwork for him in particular constantly. You cannot represent a person a genius and solitude by having a posse surround you and using outside power sources. That directly goes against the Indra creed and becomes Ashura.
Rambling aside, I present concrete evidence for my claims:
-Sasuke vs Naruto Part 1 = Ends like
You must be registered for see links
. 0-1
-Team 7 Bell Training = Sasuke ends up like
You must be registered for see links
on his own. They only pass when they work together and Naruto grabs the bells.
- Sasuke and Naruto vs Haku = Sasuke ends up like
You must be registered for see links
and begs Naruto not to die too. Actually a decent showing for Sasuke for nonetheless, however, an L is an L.
- Sasuke vs Rock Lee = Sasuke catching some
You must be registered for see links
.
- Sasuke vs Orochimaru = Sasuke
You must be registered for see links
and getting
You must be registered for see links
. Granted Orochimaru was the strongest in the series up to this point, but this is the beginning of the "solo" mentality shit on.
He was granted the Curse Mark at this point. And as we know, the Curse Mark amplifies the person's power exponentially and even has Senjutsu properties as it comes from Jugo's DNA. Seeing as how Orochimaru GAVE this to Sasuke intentionally, all of his uses thereby negate any aspect of solo or genius that were put out at this point.
- Sasuke vs Zaku = Zaku gets his
You must be registered for see links
handily. However, as is plainly seen, he was using Curse Mark power. Thereby, no "solo", no "lone wolf", none of that.
- Sasuke vs Yoroi = Sasuke getting
You must be registered for see links
until Curse Mark power saves the day! Go figure.
- Sasuke vs Gaara = Ends with
You must be registered for see links
. Naruto has to come to his rescue.
- Sasuke vs Naruto 2 = Sasuke mad Naruto's Rasengan was way
You must be registered for see links
than his Chidori as it blew out a way bigger hole and did more damage.
- Sasuke vs Sound 5 =
You must be registered for see links
, with the Sound Ninja remarking how weak he was at the time.
- Sasuke vs Naruto = Naruto intentionally hitting Sasuke's
You must be registered for see links
and throwing the fight while Sasuke used Curse Mark State 2.
- Sasuke vs Team Yamato = This wasn't even a fight, it was lame as shit. Sasuke is the only one who made any moves besides Yamato, and he wasn't trying to hurt anyone. Also Orochimaru and Kabuto were there. For all intents and purposes, this might as well have not happened as they retreated after Naruto and Sasuke exchanged bantz.
- Sasuke vs Orochimaru Part 2 = Orochimaru was on his deathbed. Sasuke later admits the only reason he walked away was because Orochimaru was weakened. Had to use
You must be registered for see links
to do it.
- Sasuke vs Deidara = Biggest case of Plot Induced Stupidity in the series. There's no way a summon can tank a nuke of the size Deidara created. Regardless, Sasuke spent most of the fight in his
You must be registered for see links
state
- Sasuke vs Itachi = Itachi threw the fight. Enough said. Here Itachi TRANSFERRED ALL HIS TECHNIQUES to Sasuke
You must be registered for see images
- Sasuke vs Killer Bee=
You must be registered for see links
and
You must be registered for see links
upon.
- Sasuke vs Ay = Tie. They went back and forth and got cut off.
- Sasuke vs Mei = Mei
You must be registered for see links
until saved him.
- Sasuke vs Onoki =
You must be registered for see links
until Masked Man stepped in.
- Sasuke vs Danzo = Danzo held back to have energy for Masked Man and didn't have Kotoamatsukami available. Still, I'll give him this one.
- Sasuke vs Kakashi = Got
You must be registered for see links
in the face, and stalemated until showed up Naruto.
- Sasuke vs Naruto = Rasengan vs Chidori clash, nothing special.
- Sasuke getting Itachi's eye power from his eyes
You must be registered for see images
- Sasuke vs Kabuto = Itachi did all the heavy lifting in this one. Sasuke, like, shot an arrow and a 3T genjutsu that did nothing.
- Sasuke vs Obito = Needed
You must be registered for see links
to stay relevant so he could hurt Obito.
- Sasuke vs Madara =
You must be registered for see links
- Sasuke vs Kaguya = I won't even bother going through the amount of times he was ruined here. I don't think he touched Kaguya until that lame 3 way punch with Sakura there.
- Sasuke vs Naruto VoTE 2 = Admits to
You must be registered for see links
help, still admits defeat.
IN CONCLUSION - Sasuke has had more help than anyone in the series and won only 1 fight justifiably by himself. Everything else was with outside assistance in some fashion. You know who didn't need help?