One thing about the eyes is they never lie. I love how Sasuke staring at Naruto continually is CANON and TEXTUALLY embedded in the narrative. In fact, it's linked to the larger concept of acknowledgement (認める) which has semantic roots in "keeping one's vision on..."
I also created a matching collage for Naruto because he focuses on Sasuke in a special way as well.
Kishimoto used the *exact* same language to describe the way Hinata stares at Naruto & the way Naruto and Sasuke mutually look at each other.
While the shinobi were headed towards Naruto and his light, Sasuke was pointedly shown retreating from the sun. Why? Because as detailed in the very next chapter, Sasuke was heading off to sever his bond with Naruto, the person who he'd feel extreme pain over losing. [I've written about Naruto being Sasuke's light here]
It's such a subtle but fantastic moment of foreshadowing for their VOTE 2 fight and the "most frightening" experience of them potentially losing each other.
“Most mlm ships in shonen are romantic-coded and would be canon if they were straight” I think there’s a fundamental misunderstanding here. Most of them are not romantic-coded, not at all. A lot of female shippers just don’t understand male friendship. And sorry to say, but a lot of straight and bisexual women also don’t want to accept that for most straight men, romance isn’t important to them. This is why they don’t write their romantic endgames as that interesting most of the time. In their mind, they just think their hero eventually needs a girlfriend when he grows up, because eventually he needs to have sex and breed. There might be some men who ship Naruto and Hinata because they relate to Naruto and want a big-breasted tradwife but Hinata’s personality (or lack there of) or compatibility with Naruto doesn’t matter to them.
Most of these shonen authors aren’t writing romantic-coded mlm relationships. They write basic male friendships where men admire each other and help each other out. Mangakas like Toriyama, Oda, Kubo, Horikoshi and Fujimoto like tits and fanservice. They’re as straight as they can be. Obviously, there is gay subtext in SOME shonen series other than Naruto, but it is not most of them.
And then female shippers come up with the idea that the most developed and best relationship in the story = it must be romantic. Which is obviously a flawed argument. Do they think Edward and Alphonse in Fullmetal Alchemist are incestous? Because their relationship is the core of the story in both anime versions and the manga.
Sure, most of these mangakas don’t write women that well, and are sexist. But that doesn’t really have anything to do with whether the men seem gay. Goku/Chichi is written as a gag, and Chichi isn’t greatly written, do people think Goku is gay? No. Keiko was Togashi’s least favourite character in YYH, because she was too typical and thus boring to him. But people could still tell that Yusuke was attracted to and liked Keiko. Azula is considered a good and memorable female character, does she have a deep romantic relationship with a male character? No. Because that has nothing to do with whether a female character is good!!! Do people understand how dumb their arguments are?
So Oda, Kubo, etc. are straight as a ruler. Kishimoto on the other hand is so deep in the closet he’s close to finding Narnia. It’s pretty obvious if you just read his manga and compare it to the above mangakas works. I know some people don’t like me saying this because we need to defend Kishi’s honor or something but I think he’ll live. But Kishi unlike many of his collegues is very into the romance, gay romance to be exact. And this has been said countless times but the fact so many people outside of shipping circles can pick up on Naruto and Sasuke’s romance is telling that it’s not like other shonen friendships. The gay stuff made people uncomfortable back in the days when the manga was running. The gay stuff regarding them easily gets viral these days even without yaoi fangirls. And the posts mocking Sasuke and Sakura’s miserable relationship also get viral. Videos that joke about how Naruto forgets Hinata exists if Sasuke just shows off his chest, or more like breaths in Naruto’s direction get viral. That’s another thing. In Naruto the het endgames aren’t just lacking, they are written as so terrible by Kishi it’s clearly out of pettiness and hostility. Kishi didn’t need to stress so much during the war arc that Sasuke only cares about Naruto, while knowing he is going to end up with Sakura, but he did. He didn’t need to make Sakura yell “I can’t do the things (lists things Naruto canonically does for Sasuke)”, he didn’t need to write Gaiden where Sasuke looks uncomfortable after seeing Sakura after 12 years, he didn’t need to imply twice Sasuke doesn’t kiss Sakura, but he did. This is very different from “shonen couple is kinda boring and kinda lacks in development”.
Then we have mangakas like Togashi and Isayama, who seem to genuinely like and adore their wives, so it’s likely they indeed like women. But they also seem to find gay subtext at least a bit interesting, maybe because it’s a bit of a taboo. From both of their interviews you can gather they aren’t offended at people shipping their male characters. Isayama even said he knew fujoshi would like Levi’s character, and that he knew Levi’s design was good based on this. He also dropped some ship tease, for example with Armin and Eren (fake preview and Q&A). It’s not very common. Togashi too talked about how maybe he should have made Hiei and Kurama a couple after hearing people shipped them. But the gay subtext doesn’t dominate their manga like it does in Naruto.
These mangakas aren’t a monolith, but many of them are indeed straight and care more about basic shonen tropes than exploring homosexuality or heterosexual romance. The issue is that many people need to find a ship in everything they watch, which is why they apply the romantic lenses to the dynamic they think is best written or most interesting. But that doesn’t make it true or that the writers are intentionally or accidentally writing gay subtext.
I hear some NH fans say that NH was planned from the start and the fact that Hinata is wearing a necklace with the Uzumaki symbol in her early concept art is proof of this.
@badgalsasuke talked about this, there is no proof that sketch is even that old. And even if NH was "planned" how is that a good argument for it when Kishi did nothing to develop it and even intentionally made it look bad? (see my NH posts)
Kishi also said in one interview they considered Sakura at one point, but then thought Sakura is all about Sasuke anyway and that Hinata would be pitiful if she didn't get Naruto lol. He was being condescending as hell towards these girls yet their stans can't see it.
Since I was tagged, I'm gonna add to this post with proof debunking the claim that NH was decided from the beginning.
First of all, the Hinata illustration anon is talking about was published in the first official databook back in 2002. Naruhina shippers claim she was "always meant to be Naruto's endgame" because she's wearing a necklace of the Uzumaki clan crest, however this is the symbol you see in the back of shinobi vest that ALL ninjas wear and Kishimoto wouldn't decide until years later it would also be the Uzumaki crest when he came up with the whole alliance between the Senju and Uzumaki clans during the early years of Konoha.
Hinata was given a necklace to show she belongs to Konoha because she's dressed like a civilian, not a ninja. NH shippers also like to claim that because Naruto is in the background of the illustration that means it was a "clue" to let fans know they were gonna be endgame but it's really just to let people know Hinata likes Naruto which is the first thing we learn about her, nothing indicating they were gonna be endgame.
Now, let's move on to the claims that Kishimoto said he always meant for Naruto and Hinata to be endgame.
The first time Kishimoto talks about the love life of Hinata and other female characters is in 2006, in the Shonen Jump Anime Profiles (episodes 1-37) special book. He doesn't mention with whom Hinata will end up with.
It wouldn't be until November 20, 2014 (ten days after the manga ended) that Kishimoto talked for the first time when he decided on Hinata to be Naruto's endgame in his interview for Entermix Magazine and said it was "a long time" but doesn't clarify exactly when.
This is one of the interviews where Kishimoto states what maoam had said about Kishimoto wanting to choose between Sakura or Hinata but ultimately siding with Hinata because Sakura is too devoted to Sasuke, so we know Hinata was not a definitive choice right off the bat like her stans claim.
In november 24, 2014 at the Preview Premiere of The Last, Kishimoto reportedly said according to two different sources, that he felt miserable after watching Naruto and Hinata kiss but laughed it off in the end yet at the same time claimed he'd never depict them again.
On december 6, 2014 The Last premiered and fans received a movie booklet that included an interview with Kishimoto, he states there he decided on Hinata to be Naruto's endgame a bit after the Shippuden part of the manga started but clarified he didn't feel any attachment to their love story and didn't intend to write it (The Last wasn't written by him either nor was the movie his idea).
In this interview Kishimoto also shares that he decided on Hinata because she'd be pitiful otherwise if she wasn't rewarded with a relationship with Naruto but that he had considered Sakura as well.
Also on december 6, 2014 came out an Eiga.com interview with Kishimoto in which he admits to trolling the fans with the whole Sakura-Naruto-Hinata love triangle and states he had intended for Naruto and Hinata to end up together "quite early" whatever this might mean
In December 13, 2014 Kishimoto's interview for tv show Mando Kobayashi was broadcasted on FujiTV and here he stated that he decided on Naruto and Hinata to end up together during the war arc and that's why he killed off Neji as he was the trigger to bring them closer.
On december 26, 2014 nippon.com published an interview with Kishimoto in which he again states that he originally did not intend for there to be a story about the blank period in Naruto that would become The Last. He also claims he's never been the sort of artist to include romance in his work LOL
on august 5, 2015 during the promo rollout for Boruto The Movie, Kishimoto states he wondered if and how Sasuke and Sakura would get together and that the romances were decided at a pretty early phase
for Jump Festa 2017 Kishimoto states he decided for Hinata to end up with Naruto "pretty early on", that there was "nothing set in [his] mind" about Sakura and Naruto becoming a couple and that Sakura was just another character like Kiba or Shikamaru, contradicting what he said literally when The Last premiered lmao
and finally in 2017 for his interview and conversation with character designers Tetsuya Nishio and Hirohumi Suzuki for the Naruto: Animation Chronicle Earth volume, Kishimoto claimed he loved The Last even though in the premiere he said it make him feel miserable but also that he originally wanted to draw it too even though in the movie booklet he stated he had no intention of writing such story...
Rewrite of my reply here.
Long post about Sasuke and his associations to mythological deities like Amaterasu and Izanami and how that represents the influences of Itachi and Naruto on his life:
In Naruto, Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi are jutsus used by the Uchiha clan, connected to the Mangekyo Sharingan. In Japanese mythology, they are siblings born to Izanagi, the deity of creation and life. Amaterasu is the goddess of the sun and Tsukuyomi is the god of the moon.
The main myth surrounding them involves Tsukuyomi killing Ukemochi, the goddess of food, which causes Amaterasu to become angry with him, leading to their eternal separation.
I see this myth as representative of the conflict between Sasuke and Itachi. Sasuke's anger at his brother for the murder of their parents and clan is similar to Amaterasu's anger at her brother's act of violence. This is strengthened by Sasuke and Itachi’s connections to Amaterasu and Tsukuyomi, respectively.
In the manga, Itachi is the character who first uses Tsukuyomi, as well as Amaterasu. However, even though Itachi is the one who introduces the jutsu, Sasuke is the character who has more ties with it. Both of his eyes can control Amaterasu, while only Itachi's right eye could.
Sasuke is more skilled at Amaterasu and uses it more often, as seen in his battles with Killer B and the Five Kages. While he also does use Tsukuyomi, he is shown to be weaker than Itachi, which Danzo comments on, stating that the difference is like day and night.
Itachi, in general, is associated with the moon, the night, and darkness. He is obviously connected to the night of the Uchiha massacre. Sasuke is reminded of him when he looks at the full moon.
Another myth involving Amaterasu tells the story of how she retreats into the Amano Iwato (Heavenly Rock Cave) after a conflict with her brother Susanoo, which sends the world into darkness. Amaterasu's reappearance from the cave is described as light returning to the world.
In Sasuke vs. Itachi, Itachi refers to Sasuke as his "new light." Him taking Sasuke's eyes will restore his blindness (darkness). So Sasuke is the Amaterasu to Itachi's Tsukuyomi, the light to his darkness.
In contrast, Naruto and Sasuke are represented by Izanagi and Izanami. Izanagi is the deity of creation and life, while Izanami is the deity of creation and death. Itachi mentions them as a pair, two opposites that succeed only when working together.
Sasuke thinks about this comment when Naruto talks to him about their cooperation in their fight against Kaguya, drawing a direct comparison between Naruto and Sasuke to Izanagi and Izanami.
Izanami and Izanagi can be considered to be an example of yin-yang dualism, life vs death, heaven vs earth, sun vs moon. In Chinese philosophy, yin-yang is a concept referring to opposite but complementary forces that work together to make up everything in the universe.
I feel like it’s obvious how Naruto and Sasuke represent yin-yang. Naruto is light, the sun, and heaven (sky). Sasuke is darkness, the moon, and earth (ground). Like yes Kishimoto, we see the symbolism.
Light and darkness, the sun and the moon, are diametrically opposed. Naruto, connected to Izanagi (the sun, yang), is positioned as the opposite of Itachi, connected to Tsukuyomi (the moon, yin). This symbolizes their roles as foils when it comes to their bonds with Sasuke.
Itachi and Naruto are arguably the two characters who have the most influence on Sasuke. Itachi’s influence on Sasuke is portrayed as negative. Through his actions on the night of the Uchiha massacre and encouragement of Sasuke’s vengeance, he leads Sasuke down a dark path.
Itachi is linked with Sasuke’s loss of agency. He lies to and manipulates Sasuke in an attempt to control his actions, disregarding Sasuke’s own thoughts and feelings. When Itachi is revived via Edo Tensei, he admits to this, after seeing how his actions have harmed Sasuke.
This changes after their fight with Kabuto. Itachi sees how Sasuke has grown and apologizes to him. He chooses to respect Sasuke as his own person, acknowledging his free will, breaking away from the darkness he once embodied as he vanishes into the light.
In contrast, Naruto’s influence on Sasuke is shown to be positive. Naruto is connected to Sasuke reclaiming his agency. At the Valley of the End, Sasuke first tries to kill Naruto to gain the power of the Mangekyo. He adheres to Itachi’s will, following the path Itachi wanted him to take.
At the end of the fight, Sasuke chooses not to, even when presented with the opportunity to do so.
It is Naruto’s acknowledgement of their bond that causes Sasuke to make this decision. We can see that Naruto’s words had a great effect on him due to the change in his Sharingan.
Through interacting with Naruto, Sasuke walks away from the path carved out for him by Itachi, maintaining his agency in the face of his manipulation. Itachi himself notes Naruto’s influence on Sasuke, thinking of him as a “guide” that helped Sasuke decide his own journey.
To Sasuke, Naruto is the light that leads him out of Itachi’s darkness.
noba/maki doesn't appeal to me, I don't get it, but I would have wanted to see mai and nobara beat each other up and then have a long discussion after they're too tired to move lol
this is the dramatic yuri I would have been interested in. nobara's judgemental attitude towards a chick she knows nothing about but learns to emphasize with? PEAK. mai learning from nob's go fuck yourself I'm doing this for me attitude? gege hand me the pen
Shippers get a lot of lashings for being annoying and “forcing romance” but not enough is being said about people who force the nuclear family structure on everything. Nothing against found families, but the amount of people who seem to cram every dynamic into a cookie cutter nuclear family mold is driving me insane. It’s another lowkey reductive way of engaging with characters that pretends to less reductive than the shippers they constantly complain about. Not every relationship can be categorized as “sibling coded” or “father-daughter” because most relationships are more complicated than that. Don’t even get me started on the way these people use “coding” *cough* their headcanons *cough* to shut down ships they dislike.
Hey, I saw you answered an ask about Sakura’s love for Sasuke and how it was superficial. I was wondering what your thoughts were on Hinata’s love for Naruto?
(Sorry if you’ve answered before but I’m new to your blog🙂)
Hi anon!
I had not, in fact, answered this question before. I find Hinata's love for Naruto is as shallow as Sakura's love for Sasuke but to make matters worse, she interacts even less with Naruto compared to Sakura and Sasuke.
The first time we see interact the two of them is right at the beginning of the Chuunin Tournament arc. Hinata is too shy to stand up for Naruto or try to get create an ambiance of camaraderie after Kiba had been bragging about how much they've been training and they'd beat everybody else. Naruto didn't even understand what she was saying and proceeded to describe her as a "world-class freak who won't look me in the eye" So right away, Naruto doesn't hesitate to insult Hinata to the audience, showing us he really doesn't care about her.
Their interactions are mostly comprised of Hinata looking at Naruto but not doing much to get close to him so Naruto doesn't even notice her. It's the opposite of the same spectrum when compared to Sakura and how she tries so hard to call Sasuke's attention but fails because she misunderstands what he likes and values in a person, Hinata, on the other hand, doesn't try to get Naruto's attention at all, it's all a longing in the distance for her most of the time.
Another thing I've noticed from Kishimoto, is that although he portrays Hinata as a nice shy girl who wants to get close to Naruto, their interactions tend to backfire on her? Not in the sense that she's ridiculed like Sakura who's straight up told no by Sasuke everytime she asks him if they can train together or go out just the two of them, but instead Kishimoto creates the most awkward environment between these Hinata and Naruto, almost showing their incompatibility.
For example, during the written test, Hinata wants to help Naruto cheat and althought at first Naruto distrusts her, she manages to convince him she's being genuine. However, moments later Naruto decides he doesn't want to cheat because he fears he's gonna be caught by a proctor, after all he doesn't possess the skills the other rookies do to gather information. So this moment is used to more to tell us Naruto will put all his hopes on answering the tenth question because he can't answer the first nine and create expectation for the audience (will Naruto be able to answer the tenth question when he already failed with the first nine?), rather than trying to build up any sort of chemistry or romantic development between Hinata and Naruto.
Then they wouldn't interact again until the duels when Hinata fights Neji. Here Hinata is mostly used as a prop for Neji's development (after all this arc is more about Neji's ideology vs Naruto's ideology) but we still get a better understanding of her feelings for Naruto.
People confuse the battle as Naruto getting all worked up because he likes Hinata and doesn't like Neji insulting her. But it's not about her for Naruto, it's like I said previously, about Neji's ideology of not being able to defeat destiny and we all have our fates decided, the losers will always be losers and the prodigies will always win, which enrages Naruto who's a loser that's been trying his whole life to prove himself worthy. Naruto eventually proves Neji wrong during their own duel at the tournament finals.
After hearing Naruto's words Hinata gains the resolve to fight Neji, a perfect encapsulation of how she thinks of Naruto. Hinata finds in Naruto a source of inspiration to improve herself, since she considers herself to be pathetic and a coward due to her shy personality and her father's denigrating remarks about her.
As Hinata would state "I don't know what it is but... when I watch Naruto I feel a wellspring of courage bubbling inside me. I feel like I just want to do my best". She sees Naruto trying and that makes her want to try better for herself as well. But as we know thanks to Naruto, they're not close at all, she can't even talk to him or look him in the eye, so what does that tell us about all this inspiration she draws from him? It's an idealized version of Naruto she made up in her head.
The next time time Hinata and Naruto would interact would be right before the final duels of the Chuunin exams begin. There she acknowledges Naruto's strength. Naruto is visiting the same place where Sasuke fed him when they had just become genins and part of team 7, becoming the first peer and second person after Iruka to acknowledge him and treat him like a human being.
Naruto even gets defensive when Hinata asks why he felt the need to go there considering the dome where the Chuunin exams were about to take place are in the opposite direction. But after an awkward silence they have a very interesting conversation.
Hinata tells Naruto "From the outside I might not seem any different, but... I... I feel like I've changed. N-Naruto, it's all because of you... a-at least that's what I think..." after hearing this Naruto puts on a front talking about "Wow! because of me? I guess I'm an awesome influence!" but right after that Naruto drops the act, out of nervousness for his duel ahead. This time he doesn't feel all that confident in himself. He asks Hinata if she really means it when she talks that way, to which Hinata reassures him and tells him he's very humane because he fails and makes mistakes but continues to have gust and pull himself up, this gives Naruto his confidence back.
But then right after this conversation, Kishimoto does something very funny. He makes sure to cut any romantic ambiance he might have created from this conversation by reminding us Naruto is not attracted to Hinata calling her a wishy-washy, plain, gloomy weirdo but that he still kinda likes folks like her. For Naruto this is all camaraderie, nothing romantic about it and I don't think Hinata got her hopes high up here either, for she doesn't get any confidence to finally approach Naruto and become friends at the very least, she kept the same distance after this
Naruto and Hinata wouldn't interact again for the next 184 chapters (from ch. 98 to ch. 282) and then, their interaction would be this single panel; Hinata fainting after seeing Naruto for the first time in three years and Naruto simply moving on.
Prior to that, Hinata had gone to visit Naruto at the hospital after his fight with Sasuke at the Valley of the End, they didn't talk and Naruto doesn't even know she went there because she fainted right after seeing him all injured. She also doesn't want to go wish him farewell after finding out Naruto the boy she's been in love with for God knows how long because she's embarassed over something Naruto doesn't even have any idea about in the first place, so she just weirdly stalks him, looking at him leave the village while hiding. This sums up their dynamic pretty well, Hinata refuses to approach Naruto over the most anodyne shit and Naruto doesn't even acknowledge her existence because of this.
After this we won't see them again sharing the same panel until chapter 354 and interacting until chapter 355 (73 chapters from 282 to 355) in a very cordial but insignificant exchange of words.
In the following chapters they don't interact at all but what I found interesting is that while searching for Sasuke, Naruto who's being escorted by Hinata and Yamato encounter Kabuto. Naruto attacks Kabuto and Yamato joins him while all Hinata does is observe from behind. She doesn't join the fight or give any support to Naruto beyond "behind you!", which is very different to let's say the way Naruto and Sasuke naturally fight as a duo but it also speaks on the type of ninja Hinata is (an incompetent one), because if she knows Kabuto is behind Naruto why doesn't she do anything behind shouting? Fans call Sakura useless for less but Hinata is given grace lol
Now we get to Hinata's confession. I went and read the original Japanese text and found something very interesting when contrasted with ViZ Official translation
ViZ Translation: "I'm just being selfish. I'm here because I want to be. I used to be such a crybaby, always giving up before even starting... I took the wrong path so many times... But you... you helped me find my way and take the correct path, Naruto... I always chased after you... wanting to catch up... wanting to walk with you forever... I want to be by your side always... you changed me, Naruto! your smiling face saved me! and that's why I'm not afraid to die, defending you!! Because... I love you..."
Japanese text: これは…ひと私の独りよがり…ここに立ってるのは私の意志…泣いてばかりで最初から諦めて…何度も間違ったところに行こうとして･･･そんな私を…ナルト君が正しいところへ連れてきてくれたの・・・いつもナルト君を追いかけて…ナルト君に追いつきたくて･･･いつだってナルト君と･･･一緒に歩きたくて・・・いつもナルト君のところへ･･･ナルト君が私を変えてくれた!ナルト君の笑顔が私を救ってくれた!だからナルト君を守るためなら死ぬ事なんて怖くない!!!!私はナルト君が大好きだから･･･
Translation: "This is... just my own self-indulgence... I'm standing here because of my own will... I was always crying and giving up from the start... I kept trying to go down the wrong paths... but Naruto-kun brought me back to the right one... I was always chasing after Naruto-kun... wanting to catch up to him... always wanting to walk together with Naruto-kun... always wanting to be by Naruto-kun's side... Naruto-kun changed me! Naruto-kun's smile saved me! That's why I'm not afraid to die to protect Naruto-kun!!!! Because I love Naruto-kun so much..."
To me the difference in translation is stark. ViZ changing all the "Naruto-kun" into a "you" makes the confession far more personal. The fact that Hinata is about to kill herself (because she knows she can't win and was told not to go there) for a boy she claims to love but also can only address him speaking to him about him in third person just speaks volumes of how much distance there's between them. To me it even feels like she's talking to the Naruto she made up in her head after watching Naruto from afar (notice how the one flashback where both of them appear in the same panel is basically her stalking him) rather than talking to the real Naruto that's behind her.
Now I want to bring up Naruto's speech to Sasuke during their reunion at the bridge because it's been pointed out by other narusasu blogs Naruto repeats Hinata's words to Sasuke.
ViZ Translation: "Remember? the entire village used to hate me. 'Cause I have Nine tails inside me. And I hated them right back. I wanted revenge. One bad move… and I could have been like you. I used to think that I didn't have any bonds with anyone… until I met you and master Iruka. I always knew you were alone too. I felt better knowing there was someone like you, like me out there. I tried to be your friend, be around you… so I would feel happy. But I never did. 'Cause I was also jealous of you. You were good at everything! You were my rival! You were my goal. I had nothing, but I built bonds… and then in our missions as team seven… I kept chasing after you. I wanted to be strong like you. I'm happy I knew you."
Japanese text: お前も知ってんだろ･･･オレが昔里の皆に嫌われてた事･･･その理由ってのがオレん中の九尾だ･･･オレも昔は里の皆を恨んでた思った事もあるし･･･一歩間違えばお前みたいに恐ろしい事まで考えたかもしれねェ･･･オレには誰ともつながりなんてないと思ってたお前イルカ先生に会うまではオレだっていつもお前が一人なのは知ってた同じような奴がいるって安心した･･･すぐに話しかけたかった･･･なんだか嬉しくてよ！けどそりゃ止めた･･･何でもできるお前がうらやましくて･･･オレのライバルに決めた!お前はオレの目標になった何にもなかったオレがつながりを持てた第七班で任務やってよ･･･お前みたく強くかっこよくなりたくてずっとお前の後を追いかけてたオレはお前と会えてホントによかった
Translation: "You know, right? I used to be hated by everyone in the village... and the reason for that was the Nine-Tailed Fox inside me... I used to resent everyone in the village too, and there were times I thought... if I'd taken a wrong step, I might have even thought of something terrible, just like you... I thought I had no bond with anyone... until I met you and Iruka-sensei... I knew you were always alone too... I was relieved to know there was someone else like me... I wanted to talk to you right away... I was just so happy! But I stopped myself... I was jealous of you, who could do anything... I decided you would be my rival! You became my goal... I, who had nothing, was able to make bonds and we went on missions together as Team Seven... I was always chasing you, wanting to become as strong and cool as you. I'm really glad I met you!"
The difference between the ViZ translation and the original Japanese text for this monologue isn't big. But what interests me here is contrasting and comparing Naruto's words to Hinata's confession. The first obvious thing is how Naruto doesn't talk to Sasuke in third person like Hinata did with him, which to me represents not only how Hinata is aware of the distance between her and Naruto because they barely know each other but it also feels like she's addressing the Naruto-kun she idealized in her head not the real Naruto that's right behind her.
So even though on a first reading, both Naruto and Hinata are expressing the same feeling of love towards their beloved one, Hinata's confession reads so much more superficial than Naruto's (and this isn't even considering Naruto acknowledged Sasuke's struggles and told him he knew the truth about Itachi and understood why he was crashing out, Hinata doesn't do that for Naruto)
This is what differentiates Hinata's love for Naruto from Sasuke's love for Naruto as well. Sasuke, just like Hinata, had been watching Naruto from afar for a time as kids, however, if you see the memories of little small Naruto both Sasuke and Hinata recall, they're different. Hinata sees a brat that believes he can always overcome whatever life throws at him, but that's where she stops because for her Naruto is, as I mentioned previously, a source of bravery and courage, nothing more. Sasuke, on the other hand, recalls Naruto's pain, and is able to see through his brat act and recognize it as a cry for help. The villagers shunned and bullied Naruto and Hinata made a God out of him, Sasuke humanizes Naruto in a way that no one else did.
The thing about Naruto and Hinata is that both crave acknowledgement and this is what makes them incompatible in a way. That's why Naruto is drawn to Sasuke who is a force that attracts, rather than Hinata who's simply way too passive to be that for Naruto, she actually wants Naruto to be her force. As Kishimoto described in an interview with KanaBoon in 2015, the reasons why Hinata likes Naruto are clear but she watches from the shadows.
We have Neji's death as well which in Kishimoto's own word turned him into the cupid for Hinata and Naruto. It really speaks volumes on their (nonexistent) relationship that they needed someone use his last breath while bleeding to death to tell Naruto "Hinata likes you btw" so Naruto would start somewhat considering Hinata that way
Naruto needed Neji to die, Hinata giving a speech and then Kurama to scold him to hold her hand kind of awkwardly, look like he's being hold hostage and not even individuate her, instead he talks "y'all are right, my life is connected to so many others. It's thanks to you all standing by my side"
So, after this we don't have any more relevant interactions between the two of them. Some NH shippers try to paint "During the Tsukuyomi Hinata called Naruto's name and he heard her and almost went to her" as proof of some sort of special care Naruto has for her, but ultimately he didn't go to her after Sasuke told him to not leave the Susanoo.
But as we can see their interactions are mostly shallow and superficial but even the meaningful ones that I believe all happen in Part 1 of the manga, are not to develop a romantic relationship but rather Hinata is used as a mere prop for more important characters' arcs like Neji and Naruto's, her confession in Part 2 not only is ignored by Naruto but it is also simply used for Naruto to learn what a love confession sounds like and he would tell Sasuke his own. She needed Neji to die so she could get closer to Naruto. But most importantly she doesn't know him, even in Boruto when her son is angry and demanding to know why Naruto is never around she can't say anything and just cries
I do think many stsg shippers like sh*kohime simply because of the "pair the spares" thing but I don't think it matters like gjhm shippers seem to think. Regardless of the reason, Utahime does like Shoko even if there are no romantic implications in their dynamic, meanwhile she DOES NOT like Gojo at all. Gege has said it like twice, and it shows in her beaviour. And it makes perfect sense why she doesn't like him, he doesn't respect her because he sees her as a weakling, and also his carefree trollish personality doesn't vibe with her. Gojo teases Nanami a lot, but unlike with Utahime, he actually respects Nanami. He also "bullies" Ijichi, but he said he trusts him. That's more meaningful than anything Gege wrote between Gojo and Utahime. See the difference? Gojo also has better dynamics with Mei Mei and Shoko but neither of them is as self insertable as Utahime.
But somehow many women love to interpret genuine frustration/anger as romantic interest. What's worse is they interpret Utahime willing to do things for Gojo because of their work as proof she is "tsundere" as in cares for Gojo despite her harsh words. Because these people have never experienced working with a person they don't like. As a mature adult if you want to do your job well, you need to act civil with the other person while you work.
Naruto is more sensitive than most to "other people's gazes". For a long time, he's been hurt by the cold stares of others, so before he knew it, he'd naturally come to understand the "true feelings" of others from their eyes .
In chapter 538, when they first sparred at the academy, Naruto was knocked down in a matter of seconds and completely defeated by Sasuke, but Sasuke raised his fist and stared intently at Naruto's face......
"He's not looking at me"...... Sasuke's not looking at Naruto, who's right in front of him. Naruto often finds himself reacting to everything with things like, "damn...those eyes again... that same look...everyone...", he deeply understands the look of hatred from others' eyes, as he experienced himself.
That's why when he sees Sasuke's eyes saying "he's not looking at me" bothered him so much. Because, they were eyes filled with hatred and anger, but "it doesn't towards him". Sasuke was always looking "somewhere far away." At the time, Naruto didn't know what Sasuke was looking at, but he knew that what Sasuke was looking at wasn't there. Naruto must have felt lonely and helpless.
Naruto somehow sensed that Sasuke was lost and didn't know where to direct his hatred. Because Naruto was the same way...At that time, Naruto had not yet learned about the Nine Tails, so he didn't understand why he was shunned or why he was alone. He feels hatred towards the adults in the village who look at him coldly, but at the same time he feels the opposite emotion: he is lonely and wants to be accepted by the people in the village...
before the Chunin Third Preliminary Exam began, when Sasuke said to Naruto , "I want to fight you too", Naruto's eyes were wide open and his heart was beating fast..... his reaction was like his crush had confessed to him. These were the first words that Naruto heard Sasuke acknowledge him as an equal, after up until that point Naruto longed for this acknowledgement from Sasuke.
Normally Naruto would say something in response, but this time, unusually, he was unable to say anything and just stood there. And it wasn't just only those words that made Naruto's heart skip a beat at that moment, it was Sasuke's eyes... it was the eyes that made his heart skip a beat here as well. The eyes that looking at him... the eyes that recognize him. The power of his gaze gives his words even more weight, and his seriousness strikes the other person. Sasuke's "eyes" had an effect on Naruto. Sasuke looked directly at him and "he's looking at me (Naruto)". Moreover, his eyes were genuine and serious... Naruto, who had been close to him but Sasuke had never looked at him and said these words to him...until in that moment. At last, Sasuke recognized him. Naruto never forgot Sasuke's words "I want to fight you too" and treasured them.
The cold looks that were directed at Naruto from those around him were also hateful looks directed at the Nine Tails...and it's possible that the Nine Tails felt the same loneliness and hatred that Naruto felt at that time.
This is the scene where Naruto and Kurama first meet. Until then, Naruto had felt that there was something inside him, and had heard that the Nine Tails was sealed inside him. However, he had never actually met Kurama.
Kurama has been watching Naruto since he was a baby, and maybe he thought it would be easy to just "intimidate" Naruto and make him tremble in fear.... However, even though Naruto was surprised to see the Nine Tails for the first time, he pulled himself together, glared at it, and faced it boldly, "You stupid fox! I'm letting you stay in my body, so instead of rent, lend me some of your chakra!"
Kurama was alone, for a long time. Then Marada started controlling him, and soon after that it was forcefully sealed inside someone, after Hashirama told him that "his power was too great, and he couldn't let him run around loose". So we can see why Kurama was so filled with hate after that. And what's noteworthy is that the Nine Tails sees Madara, Hashirama, Mito, and Kushina as all the same. Hashirama, Mito, and Kushina say things like " Sorry, but...", "Please stay still" and "neither of us have any sort of luck, do we/Looks like luck's not really on our side, huh?"... They use mild tones, but in the end they are saying "You're dangerous so stay still!". In the end, it doesn't change the fact that the Nine Tails are bound. No one tried to see him as who he was or tried to accept him.
Yet again, he was forced to live in Naruto's body and imprisoned. That's why kurama still can't open up to Naruto. He was deeply hurt and in "despair" for a long time. He also seems to be wary of human betrayal. Then Naruto's actions intrigued Kurama into watching him silently, for all of those years. However, when Naruto looked at him when he said, "I want to do something about your hatred," Kurama must have realized that he was not lying. He knows that Naruto could become "hope" and that he's different from any ninja before him. But he also knows that Naruto still has many obstacles to overcome. Naruto proved himself to Kurama with his actions, not with only his words.
Naruto says that he wants to be friends with the Nine Tails (and he is very jealous of Gyūki and Bee), but Son Gokū looks into Naruto's eyes and can tell that he is serious. They can tell the truth with just their eyes. Their true feelings, which are supposed to be invisible to the eyes, are revealed in their eyes.
when the sage created the tailed beasts and gave them "names," it was proof that they accepted and acknowledged their "existence." They must have been happy to be given names they were proud of... Names are proof that "it is OK for us to exist in this world." That's why I think they treasure their names so much.
They didn't want their "important and proud name" to be called so casually by those people they hates. Perhaps kurama doesn't want his "pride" to be tarnished by the humans who hurt him, tie him up, call him "Nine Tails," and treat him nothing more than a "power" - in other words, a nothing more than a "tool." Bound with chains, and even denied their names, the only thing they were proud of...the tailed beasts have had their very existence denied. It was painful for the kurama to remember that he was "the Kurama" after being treated so cruelly by humans (betrayed)... I think he must have felt like "You can call me Kyuubi whatever you like" and that he didn't care who he was anymore, that he didn't want to be with anyone.
Naruto tried to prove his existence by playing pranks because it was better than being invisible. The tailed beasts went on a rampage just because they wanted to show them their existence that had been denied. The ninjas and tailed beasts who had even their names abandoned and their very existence denied.
• Naruto was so happy when Iruka-sensei accepted him as "Naruto uzumaki" Of Konoha. It was that moment...the first time Iruka affirmed Naruto's existence.
[鳴門巻き Narutomaki🍥, it is a kind of white Japanese fish cake with a pink swirl on it. Its origin is unclear, but the name "鳴門" is mentioned in the book " Konnyaku Hyakuchin " (published in 1846). According to this book, people in the Edo period wrapped narutomaki in kelps or tofu skin. 鳴門 means Whirlpool, maelstrom or strait with a roaring tidal ebb and flow; or a steamed seasoned fish cake.
In the story, Minato, chose to name his son after the character from jiraiya's book, hoping he would embody the same qualities of bravery and perseverance.
I think kishimoto said writing something about ramen and soup but thought it won't popular with the kids, so he kept the name "Naruto".]
• Konohamaru's name was given to him by his grandfather, who named him after the village, and was a precious proof of his existence. But he was sad that no one saw him as "him" or called him by his real name. And everyone saw him as "Hokage's grandson". But when Naruto called him "Konohamaru", he was stunned and very happy. He was happy because it signified acknowledgment as an individual, rather than just the Hokage's grandson. It provided the individual recognition Konohamaru craved. (chapter 2,page no. 22)
Sasuke's parents, Fugaku and Mikoto, named him after Sarutobi Sasuke, the father of the Third Hokage, with the hope that he would grow up to be a "strong and splendid ninja" (Chapter 500), much like his namesake.
Mikoto uses 強い立派な忍 = tsuyoi rippana nin. 強い tsuyoi - generally refers to being mentally strong, resilient, and having a strong-willed or strong-minded character. It can imply qualities such as determination, the ability to withstand challenges, and a certain level of self-assuredness. It’s often used to describe someone who is firm in their beliefs, decisions, and actions, even in the face of difficulties.
立派 rippana- means solemn and beautiful, or fine‐[gorgeous‐] looking, splendid, magnificent; excellent; well-arranged or having no deficiency or defect; admirable; excellent.
忍 nin- To endure, to persevere, to conceal, to hide. This kanji is made up of 刃 (blade/sword edge) and 心 (heart, mind). So, the top was a sharp blade of a knife, and the bottom was a heart. A person’s heart on a sharp knife signified "a heart that was strong and tenacious", or "to have a mind/heart as sharp as a blade" or "even if someone puts a blade to your heart, you will endure, you will persevere" Or "even if you were caught and the enemy held a blade over your heart, you will not divulged any information, you will remain loyal, you will remain secret"
Maybe Kishi picked 'Sasuke' name from the Folklore and wrote it into Mikoto's storyline.
Kurama recalls all the times since Naruto was a child when he had "proved what he said." Sixteen years seems like an incredible time. The Nine Tails and the other tailed beasts may have grown tired of "people who are all talk". Etiquette is the same as betrayal...because there is no sincerity in the words. Kurama, who had had his hopes betrayed by humans and harbored hatred for them, still continued to calmly watch over Naruto, seeing him as his "last hope". In other words, it seems that Kurama was unable to hate humans after all.
Up until now, humans have tried to stop the tailed beasts, which are "incompatible things," but they never thought of helping them. But Naruto is different... Naruto has always done just that. He wants to help not for his own gain, but purely from his heart. When he was fighting Zabuza, he brought out his true feelings, saved Gaara, and gave Nagato hope again... He fights not just to stop the enemy, but "to help the enemy"... That's Naruto.
That's why he can honestly say things like "I want to be friends with you" about the tailed beasts, and he genuinely wants to help them. But this is something only Naruto can do, being able to say "I like" his enemy, and it's not something that can be done easily.
"Thank you (サンキュー(sankyū) for lending me your power when I fought the other Madara... That really helped (me) !" [ペコリ = onomatopoeia for " a slight head bow"]. Kurama has a really surprised look on his face when he reacted ``!!" He definitely didn't expect to be told "thank you.''
He "cannot forgive = does not want to acknowledge" himself for helping Naruto, so he is extremely confused when he is told "thank you." He thinks he should not acknowledge himself for being thanked by a jinchuriki. That is why he denies it angrily and can only offer his help in a roundabout way...There is a glimpse of the painful and lonely past that Kurama has been through up until now.
He had been betrayed by humans and was stained with hatred... He thought he would never trust humans again, but there was still a part of him that loved them. Maybe he just wanted to bury his light self in the darkness forever, along with the name "Kurama".
Naruto really understands... why Kurama can only express himself like this. Naruto himself has walked a similar path, only being able to express himself through pranks, so it's easy to understand why Kurama is behaving like that. Just like how Naruto was bottling up his emotions and struggling to accept his negative side. Kurama didn't want to acknowledge or show its light side or its positive side, so it gave in to its hatred and looked at itself with an evil look.
Kurama had that mean look in his eyes... By letting out his inexplicable anger at Naruto, it seemed like the resentment... all the frustration that had been building up in his heart all at once.
When he extended his "fist", all the poison has been removed and he has become a very honest Kurama. He has finally accepted his "light self", that is, not the Nine Tails but "his self as Kurama". Naruto looked surprised for a moment, then laughed happily.
when Naruto first learned that the Nine-Tailed Fox had been sealed inside him. From that moment on, Naruto's life with the Nine-Tailed Fox began. The Nine Tails' existence was denied, it was looked at with cold eyes, it was forced to throw away its name and was tied up. For a much, much longer time than Naruto, the Nine Tails was locked away in pitch black darkness, without being saved by anyone...or acknowledged by anyone. The journey up to now is the story of Naruto becoming recognized, but it's also the story of Kurama the Nine Tails becoming recognized. And...finally, Kurama's existence was accepted by Naruto, and he was able to find himself again. Not as the Nine Tails, but as "Kurama".
The words that Iruka said in the first chapter... those were also the words Naruto wanted to say to kurama, "You are not the demon fox anymore, you're my partner of the konohagakure, you're Kurama".
The first time Zabuza realized he had "lost" to his enemy was when Naruto saw through his true feelings, but I think this was also the first time the Nine Tails realized he had "lost" to Naruto.
The way Naruto glares at the Nine Tails, the way Sasuke looks at Naruto, the way Naruto looks at Sasuke, the way the Nine Tails looks at Naruto...Truly a "story told with the eyes."
But the confident, unwavering gaze is the same now as it was then
When you accept the reality of the other person, it might improve your relationship with someone if that person felt you accepted them fully.
Kurama thinks about that scene where Naruto promised to remove all the Hatred from his heart someday. The same scene which Kurama later recollects in other chapters and even in Chapter 697 before lending his last bit of Chakra to Naruto to save Sasuke.
everyone in Naruto is wearing sandals, Kishi has said it's simply because he likes drawing toes. He has a foot fetish
Kishimoto: “I found it funny to use anachronism in this medieval like setting, like the sandals. I love drawing toes and feet. I must be a fetishist of toes and fingers. Okay, that came out weird, I admit. About the basic designs, I used to read some fashion magazines and took inspirations from some fashion design I like so I could custom them into my characters”.
But then I noticed he constantly draws "tongue"
anko licks naruto's blood on his cheek from wound inflicted by her kunai outside forest of death, it happened in manga and was censored in anime, (I thought) maybe it to show her link to the new villian, who will be fully shown on the upcoming chapters
Deidara came out of the clay bird and grabbed Sasuke's leg with the tongue on his palm.
Deidara’s hands are just fricking making out and the text says, "THOSE INTERTWINED TONGUES GIVE BIRTH TO A NEW KIND OF BEAUTY"
Chapter 327 amidst despair - Pein sitting on a statue's tongue
Kishimoto's writing reflects Orochimaru's predatory behavior, grooming and pedophile subtext. No the text itself is clear.
Then there's this suggestive cover for the chapter named "the ritual", in which orochimaru tried to take over his body
sasuke-the most sexualised character in narutoverse when he's being manipulated specifically
Chapter 49 "coward" & chapter 50 "I must": orochimaru biting Sasuke's neck (a vulnerable area) and him screaming in so much pain. It is an abusive act. The act itself is physically violent, and the curse mark, a symbol of Orochimaru's control over Sasuke, can be seen as a form of psychological manipulation and control. it's portrayed as a painful experience for Sasuke, leaving him unconscious and later causing him physical distress. Orochimaru's overall interactions with Sasuke, including his language and actions, suggest a predatory and possessive behavior. He often refers to Sasuke in a way that emphasizes his own desire and control. The fact remains that this is not something sasuke willingly subjected himself to. This makes Orochimaru's actions more abusive. Orochimaru's comments about Sasuke's body and himself referring as predator highlight his possessive and exploitative intentions, suggesting where Sasuke is seen as prey. His creepy body language, his comment about Sasuke's body.... it makes it even more disturbing and uncomfortable because that's how he sees a 12-year-old Sasuke.
Sasuke is really strong but he is always the one who got more injuries in fight and is shown more bruised and with less clothes on ( kishi uses other character to say Sasuke was "kakkoii" even when he was covered with bruises [ch.363 Sasuke's death]. Kishi clearly wrote Sasuke as someone really attractive and desirable.)
Ch. 392 "Susanoo…!!" : a sudden "throbbing" pain hits him in his shoulder (cursed seal). Sasuke crouched in pain. Orochimaru tries to manipulate Sasuke and he took advantage of Sasuke's weakened state and came out into the open. Sasuke drooled as he suffered.
Ch. 398 "The Origin of Konoha": After Itachi's death, Obito is telling Sasuke the truth, but manipulates him in his vulnerable state to use him later. hes still a child being taken advantage of
Kishi stated that Sasuke was the character he put the most effort into when rendering him. But then he did this. The visual illusion created by the placement of a bottle's rim at his lips combined with elements like the sweat, towel, and his bangs. Kishi knows what he is doing.
Naruto had Gerotora kicked down his throat, and then Itachi shoved a raven down Naruto's throat, and then the raven had to come back out.
These lines [Open your mouth (much) wider! Aren't you gonna let me inside your mouth!?] It's bizarre, right? 😅 I mean, look at this!!!! Swallowing [ ], the drool, the snot, the tears....
[Idk if kishi has a thing for deep throating stuff]
Bonus:
I still can’t believe Masashi Kishimoto actually drew Sasuke right in front of Naruto's crotch. Sasuke's thumbs up Imao Kishi himself said, he often redrawn, making sure the angles of his drawings conveyed the message. But, Kishimoto-sensei, what message are you trying to convey with this angle??
Just dusting off my Twitter/X account [Link] with a few harmless posts — in case anyone still remembers I exist.
While I was away, a bunch of super dynamic sexy girl accounts followed me for reasons only the algorithm knows. Sorry, ladies, but I had to block you all.
An interesting thing Kishimoto does in Gaiden is when both Sarada's parents poke her forehead he pairs it with Sakura fake smiling at her.
Sakura knows she's lying to Sarada when she's poking her forehead hence her fake smile showing us she's not being genuine. She also understands Sasuke is lying to Sarada, she knows their shitshow of a family is a farse.
This is why people, including many SNS shippers, get it wrong when they say Sakura believes the forehead poke is a positive thing, she doesn't, she's very much aware of the real meaning of the forehead poke.
And that's also why sasusaku shippers are just wrong when they say Sasuke "changed" the meaning of the forehead poke and it's now a demonstration of love. Nothing in the text indicates such thing, on the contrary, Sakura has learned to use the poke the way it has always been used.
SS shippers need Sarada's existence to prove they had sex. Unfortunately, there's genetic subtext in Gaiden, so Sarada is a test-tube baby. The awakening of Sarada's Sharingan didn’t imply she was an official Uchiha, because there were allies of Uchiha Shin who had three-tomoe Sharingan. And another successful test-tube baby is Mitsuki. Even if Kishimoto called Sarada a mini version of Sasuke, that could just mean she’s a full clone of him, not a normal child.
SS and other shippers never dare to accept this reality.
It's pretty obvious if you're not heteronormative lol. It's not surprising, Togashi likes to explore things that are unusual. However it doesn't dominate the whole manga since Togashi is the type whose interest/focus changes every now and then (compared to Kishi who has to shove narusasu in everything). He hasn't even written about either Gon or Killua in ages. He wanted to kill off Yusuke and replace him with a new protag, but he couldn't. Now with hxh, he has more freedom.
It seems kind of puppy love at first. But it has painful moments in the latter parts of the manga/anime. Killua's jealousy and insecurity over Palm gets a closure when Palm confirms that Killua is the most important to Gon. But Gon's behaviour during Chimera ant arc hurt Killua a lot. I'm sure they are still bestfriends but some distance is probably good for them. They definitely should have a talk at some point about what happened. But who knows considering the pace the manga is going...
I also noticed Togashi paralleld Gon/Killua with Meruem/Komugi in Chimera ant arc.
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