TouchMyMangos
Jōnin Strategist 🧠
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Sasuke, believe it or not, was actually the one who taught Naruto what true strength is. Haku simply told him what it was, but Naruto still never really understood its meaning until he learned it from Sasuke. Sure, Naruto embodied true strength from the very start, but he didn't actually understand it.
Naruto once had the entirely wrong idea of what it truly meant to be strong. He was afraid of Gaara, because he thought Gaara was strong. He felt Gaara was strong because he survived a similar loneliness and sadness as he himself once did, and on top of it, became stronger fighting only for himself.
Naruto realized in that very battle against Gaara that this isn't at all what true strength is, and Sasuke is the one that actually opened up his eyes to that fact.
Sasuke in, chapter 574, after White Zetsu told him that Naruto's comrades would be on their way to back him up, seemed to laugh it off and reflected back on his telling Naruto during their fight at the vote his now warped idea of what true strength was. He said that Naruto was similar to himself, because he feels the pain of being alone, and that pain is what makes people strong.
After that flashback was over, he questioned if Naruto forgot what true strength was. So this already confirms, in these early stages, that Kishi is now actively in the process of shaping Sasuke's fall from the path of darkness. He's setting up the contrast.
Remember that Naruto was ready to take on this entire war all by himself until Itachi set him straight, telling him that if, now that he's become more powerful, he starts forgetting about his comrades and becomes arrogant and attached to his own ego, then one day he will become just like Madara.
As Itachi said, it isn't if you become Hokage, that everyone will acknowledge you. It's those who are acknowledged that can become Hokage.
Itachi said that Minato was able to become Hokage because he had Kushina and all the others. He told Naruto not to forget about his friends. So that's exactly what Naruto is making certain not to do. All his comrades are on their way to support him in whatever capacity that they can. They will all serve witness to what he does. He will not neglect their support, even he might initially have legitimate concerns about their safety, but he will give his all to protect every last one of them, and he will ultimately accept their assistance.
Naruto even as he is fighting this battle, has not forgotten about Sasuke and his desire to save him from darkness, and a big part of this reason is because Sasuke is the one who taught him the true meaning of what it means to be strong. Kishi has set this entire thing up perfectly.
How did Sasuke teach Naruto about true strength? He did it with his actions against Haku, and he did it with his words to Naruto during the Gaara fight. The crazy part is Sasuke doesn't truly realize that he is the one that taught Naruto this. At least, it doesn't seem as if he does.
From the viz translation from back in part one, during the Gaara fight.
Quote:
Sasuke : "Hey Naruto. You better rescue Sakura no matter what. I trust you to be able to do it... And then once you free her, take her and get the heck out of here. Even in this state, I can at least delay him a little (it's over, that's all i can do).
Sasuke : "No more. I've already lost everything once before. I don't ever want to watch my precious comrades die in front of me again.
Naruto : (precious comrades) *flashback remembering when Sasuke protected Naruto at the risk of his own life during the fight against Haku, and to when Sakura was ready to die taking on Gaara while defending Sasuke.*
Naruto : "Right... You're absolutely right"
Naruto : "I thought of him as strong.. cuz like me, he grew up wrapped in loneliness and sadness... and yet he kept fighting for himself from inside that core of solitude... But that's not what it takes to be truly strong, is it... You can't really get strong fighting only for yourself. *haku flashback* When people are protecting someone truly precious to them, they truly can become as strong as they must be."
Sasuke has forgotten this completely. He once understood this concept so well, but he has lost sight of it entirely. So he ultimately won't be able to defeat Naruto, because Naruto now understands and fully embodies what it means to be truly strong. He'll be fighting to protect not only all of his comrades, but he'll be fighting for Sasuke's sake as well, not necessarily for the more obvious reasons, but because Sasuke's the one who ultimately taught him what true strength is.
It makes further sense when you saw Naruto asking why Sasuke decided to save him back during the Haku fight. Naruto couldn't understand it then, and probably neither could Sasuke himself. But once Sasuke actually called him and Sakura precious comrades, and saw that Sasuke was willing to die for the two of them, Naruto remembered back to the Haku encounter, and then suddenly it all made perfect sense to him. In a funny way, Sasuke made Naruto understand the Will of Fire.
Naruto once had the entirely wrong idea of what it truly meant to be strong. He was afraid of Gaara, because he thought Gaara was strong. He felt Gaara was strong because he survived a similar loneliness and sadness as he himself once did, and on top of it, became stronger fighting only for himself.
Naruto realized in that very battle against Gaara that this isn't at all what true strength is, and Sasuke is the one that actually opened up his eyes to that fact.
Sasuke in, chapter 574, after White Zetsu told him that Naruto's comrades would be on their way to back him up, seemed to laugh it off and reflected back on his telling Naruto during their fight at the vote his now warped idea of what true strength was. He said that Naruto was similar to himself, because he feels the pain of being alone, and that pain is what makes people strong.
After that flashback was over, he questioned if Naruto forgot what true strength was. So this already confirms, in these early stages, that Kishi is now actively in the process of shaping Sasuke's fall from the path of darkness. He's setting up the contrast.
Remember that Naruto was ready to take on this entire war all by himself until Itachi set him straight, telling him that if, now that he's become more powerful, he starts forgetting about his comrades and becomes arrogant and attached to his own ego, then one day he will become just like Madara.
As Itachi said, it isn't if you become Hokage, that everyone will acknowledge you. It's those who are acknowledged that can become Hokage.
Itachi said that Minato was able to become Hokage because he had Kushina and all the others. He told Naruto not to forget about his friends. So that's exactly what Naruto is making certain not to do. All his comrades are on their way to support him in whatever capacity that they can. They will all serve witness to what he does. He will not neglect their support, even he might initially have legitimate concerns about their safety, but he will give his all to protect every last one of them, and he will ultimately accept their assistance.
Naruto even as he is fighting this battle, has not forgotten about Sasuke and his desire to save him from darkness, and a big part of this reason is because Sasuke is the one who taught him the true meaning of what it means to be strong. Kishi has set this entire thing up perfectly.
How did Sasuke teach Naruto about true strength? He did it with his actions against Haku, and he did it with his words to Naruto during the Gaara fight. The crazy part is Sasuke doesn't truly realize that he is the one that taught Naruto this. At least, it doesn't seem as if he does.
From the viz translation from back in part one, during the Gaara fight.
Quote:
Sasuke : "Hey Naruto. You better rescue Sakura no matter what. I trust you to be able to do it... And then once you free her, take her and get the heck out of here. Even in this state, I can at least delay him a little (it's over, that's all i can do).
Sasuke : "No more. I've already lost everything once before. I don't ever want to watch my precious comrades die in front of me again.
Naruto : (precious comrades) *flashback remembering when Sasuke protected Naruto at the risk of his own life during the fight against Haku, and to when Sakura was ready to die taking on Gaara while defending Sasuke.*
Naruto : "Right... You're absolutely right"
Naruto : "I thought of him as strong.. cuz like me, he grew up wrapped in loneliness and sadness... and yet he kept fighting for himself from inside that core of solitude... But that's not what it takes to be truly strong, is it... You can't really get strong fighting only for yourself. *haku flashback* When people are protecting someone truly precious to them, they truly can become as strong as they must be."
Sasuke has forgotten this completely. He once understood this concept so well, but he has lost sight of it entirely. So he ultimately won't be able to defeat Naruto, because Naruto now understands and fully embodies what it means to be truly strong. He'll be fighting to protect not only all of his comrades, but he'll be fighting for Sasuke's sake as well, not necessarily for the more obvious reasons, but because Sasuke's the one who ultimately taught him what true strength is.
It makes further sense when you saw Naruto asking why Sasuke decided to save him back during the Haku fight. Naruto couldn't understand it then, and probably neither could Sasuke himself. But once Sasuke actually called him and Sakura precious comrades, and saw that Sasuke was willing to die for the two of them, Naruto remembered back to the Haku encounter, and then suddenly it all made perfect sense to him. In a funny way, Sasuke made Naruto understand the Will of Fire.
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