Claymantan
Active member
Pretty simple: What was your favorite moment of political intrigue in this manga? They're listed below.
I've listed the major moments in chronological(-ish) order below with descriptions in case you're rusty on what happened when and how. Tell us what you liked the best and why, tell us what you didn't like, tell us what you plain forgot happened. Rank em, if you want. What would you have wanted to see or know more about? What do you think shouldn't even have been in the manga?
__________
(Hashirama, Tobirama, Madara, The Senju and the Uchiha Clans)
(Tobirama + First Shinobi World War Gokages)
(Madara, Kirigakure, Rin, Kakashi, Obito)
(Madara, Obito, Yagura, The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist)
(Hanzo, Danzo, Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, Madara, and Tobi)
(The Hyuga Clan and Kumogakure)
(Danzo, Hiruzen, Itachi, The Uchiha Clan)
(Orochimaru, Otogakure, and Sunagakure)
(Danzo + Gokage w/o Tsunade, Tobi)
(Naruto, Chojuro, Darui, Kurotsuchi, Gaara)
I've listed the major moments in chronological(-ish) order below with descriptions in case you're rusty on what happened when and how. Tell us what you liked the best and why, tell us what you didn't like, tell us what you plain forgot happened. Rank em, if you want. What would you have wanted to see or know more about? What do you think shouldn't even have been in the manga?
__________
The Formation of Konohagakure
(Hashirama, Tobirama, Madara, The Senju and the Uchiha Clans)
Straight outta the Warring States Period of shinobi history, before there were villages, we have Hashirama and Madara deciding how to bring peace to generations of interclan conflict between the Senju and Uchiha. They come to the decision to form the first ninja villages; however, conflict arises over whom should lead it. Hashirama is willing to offer the position to Madara, but Tobirama objects and demands a democratic election, thereby placing Hashirama in control. Whether or not Madara believed Hashirama's project was or could be a success played a large role in his later decisions to pursue the Moon's Eye Plan.
The First Kage Summit
(Tobirama + First Shinobi World War Gokages)
A decent amount of time after the villages have been established, Hashirama has to confront the reality that peace has not been achieved as war arises between the shinobi villages. The First Kage Summit set the stage for making jinchuruki diplomatic symbols as well as creating power relations between the villages that would create tensions in later decades. The First Shinobi World War ended here, but the cycle of violence did not.
Rin Becoming the Three-Tails' Jinchuruki
(Madara, Kirigakure, Rin, Kakashi, Obito)
Madara, in collaboration with (or, more accurately, in control of) Kirigakure's shinobi, had Rin Nohara captured and sealed the Three-Tails into her, making Rin its jinchuruki. The seal was programmed to wear off upon Rin's reentry into Konohagakure in order to wreak staggering havoc upon the village. However, Madara's true intention was to force Rin into a position where Obito would witness the death of the person he loved, and Obito did indeed witness Rin's death at the hands of Kakashi. This event set Obito on the path to darkness in order to continue Madara's Moon's Eye Plan after Madara's death.
Kirigakure's Manipulation by the Uchiha
(Madara, Obito, Yagura, The Seven Swordsmen of the Mist)
Madara had been manipulating political power in Kirigakure since the time of the Third Mizukage, but most of what we know comes from Obito's time spent making Yagura, the Fourth Mizukage, into his puppet. Under Obito's control, Kirigakure entered one of the darkest and most brutal periods in its history as a village, and recruited Kisame into Akatsuki for his Moon's Eye Plan.
The Formation of Amegakure's Akatsuki
(Hanzo, Danzo, Yahiko, Nagato, Konan, Madara, and Tobi)
In the aftermath of the Second Shinobi World War, these orphaned shinobi of Amegakure formed the rebel faction Akatsuki to contest Hanzo's oppressive rule and bring an end to the endless rain that fell upon Amegakure. However, their rebellion was more than just a spontaneous plea for peace. In reality, the formation of Akatsuki was part of Madara and Tobi's long-term plans to cultivate the Rinnegan in Nagato and transform Akatsuki into a bona fide terrorist faction that would threaten the entire shinobi world. This is yet another event in which Danzo played a role, allying with Hanzo in order to gain leverage to become Hokage. Unforuntately, everyone had designs on the Ame Orphans' lives, and their ideals were manipulated for political gains and personal venegeance.
The Hyuga Affair
(The Hyuga Clan and Kumogakure)
In order to bring an end to hostilities between Konohagakure and Kumogakure, the two villages agreed to create a peace treaty on the date of Hinata's third birthday. However, instead of meeting peacefully, a Kumogakure shinobi stole the Hyuga princess from the clan's compound, and, in retrieving Hinata, the Kumogakure shinobi was killed by Hiashi. Denying knowledge of the attempted kidnapping, Kumogakure demanded Hiashi's head. In order to avoid losing the head of Hyuga clan and the life of his sibling, Hiashi's twin brother, Hizashi, offered his own life in Hiashi's stead, pacifying Kumogakure and denying them an excuse to cripple one of Konohagakure's central clans.
The Uchiha Clan Massacre
(Danzo, Hiruzen, Itachi, The Uchiha Clan)
One of the defining events of the manga's history, this is the event that orphaned Sasuke and destroyed almost his entire clan. After generations of being ostracized and separated from political control within Konoha, the Uchiha Clan designed a coup to wrest power for themselves within the village. Although Shisui desired to prevent the conflict peacefully, Danzo managed to steal one of his Mangekyo Sharingan and it's coveted Kotoamatsukami ability, and, after Shisui's suicide, manipulated and cornered Itachi into massacring his own clan in exchange for Sasuke's life. Meanwhile, Obito helped participate in the massacre, also securing Itachi a place in Akatsuki after the massacre.
The Konoha Crush
(Orochimaru, Otogakure, and Sunagakure)
The Konoha Crush was a collaborative effort between Orochimaru and his Otogakure shinobi as well as Sunagakure to infiltrate and destroy Konoha, but there were many different motivations for this attack. Gaara himself just wanted to kill people. The Fourth Kazekage, Rasa, agreed to the invasion because Sunagakure was threatened by Konoha's growth, and Rasa believed that Sunagakure needed its resources to survive. Orochimaru sought to display his newfound strength and wreak vengeance upon the village for ostracizing him. And in preparation for the actual invasion, Orochimaru assassinated Rasa himself in order to have more control over its events. All the while, Kabuto's own motivations as Orochimaru's right-hand man remained shadowy and uncertain. And don't forget the suspicion that Danzo had a role in allowing the Konoha Crush to take place, in order to remove Hiruzen from office and justify his militaristic policies.
The Five Kage Summit
(Danzo + Gokage w/o Tsunade, Tobi)
The Five Kage gather to discuss what should be done about Akatsuki, but it's not that simple. Danzo's in the midst of making a power play to become Konoha's Candidate Hokage, and Tobi's approaching to make his declaration of war. The Summit breaks down with Sasuke breaks in, plunging the Summit into chaos after Tobi reveals his Moon's Eye Plan. The ratings of Konoha's news stations skyrockets as political commentators and pundits sensationalize an already sensational event.
The Next-Gen Five Kage Summit
(Naruto, Chojuro, Darui, Kurotsuchi, Gaara)
Not really a moment of political intrigue, but maybe you liked the moment in the manga where everything was fine and you got to see all these kids grow up to be literal bosses? 
Perhaps the best form of political intrigue is no political intrigue? Philosophical and moral questions in this thread, man.
Perhaps the best form of political intrigue is no political intrigue? Philosophical and moral questions in this thread, man.
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