An analysis on SNS and their shippers' treatment of Sakura.
I get why people ship SNS, I really do, but something I've largely noticed is the way SNS fans constantly drag Sakura for allegedly not caring about Sasuke beyond her selfish desires, but never measure Naruto with the same standards despite there being plenty of opportunities to do so. After all he is the MC, and by part II his primary motivation is bringing Sasuke back to his side Konoha, unlike Sakura who after her fight with Sasori is largely out of focus in the story and lacks such laser-focused motivation towards Sasuke.
While initially it makes sense why Naruto is worried sick about Sasuke as he defected to Orochimaru who explicitly said he wanted to obtain his body, after the Itachi reveal, Naruto's resolve to bring Sasuke back takes a darker turn.
During the Five Kage Summit arc, Tobi reveals the truth about the Uchiha massacre, that Itachi was ordered to kill his own clan so he Sasuke's life wouldn't be at risk. How does Naruto react to such shocking information?
Naruto knows Konoha sanctioned the Uchiha massacre. He knows that Konoha forced Itachi to pick between his brother being killed or killing his clan himself. We know that Konoha as an institution ruined Sasuke's life beyond repair. Yet all Naruto can muster once he finds out is accusation. How could he choose revenge, Naruto asks.
Contrast to Sakura, whom the narrative never allows to find out the truth about the Uchiha massacre. Kishimoto goes out of his way to let the audience know she absolutely has no idea. This will be important later.
Only Naruto and Kakashi are allowed to have a deeper understanding of what is motivating Sasuke's seemingly irrational actions. Only they are allowed an opportunity of true intimacy through understanding. Well, do they take that opportunity?
Naruto initially does... kind of. He repeatedly says he understands why Sasuke is doing everything he is doing, which is why the "I'll bear the burden of your hatred and die with you" scene is so significant, it's Naruto finally acknowledging to Sasuke that it's circumstances out of their control that keep him and Sasuke separated.
Still, Naruto's choice is clear: He will stand with Konoha against Sasuke.
Another translation goes: "Our battle will be inevitable if you really do attack the Leaf"
His choice is clear, and is wording is very insiduous. On one hand, he says he understands Sasuke, yet still frames his position as hateful. Naruto has no criticism to make towards Konoha. Even after finding out the truth, after knowing why Sasuke won't be back after he got his revenge against Itachi, he still frames Sasuke as wrong somehow, because that's the only way he can still feel entitled to both Konoha and Sasuke. He wants to have his cake and eat it too, at Sasuke's expense.
He keeps that framing going during the War arc. Sasuke wants to be alone you see, he is full of hatred, so he needs to be saved. Naruto positions himself as Sasuke's savior and repeatedly reduces Sasuke's motivations to his character flaws. A very insiduous manner of oppression given that he knows the truth.
Now, something really interesting that gives further insight on Naruto's character, which we wouldn't otherwise know because he is a master in repressing negative feelings born out of trauma: Dark Naruto.
These are Narutoās bone deep feelings about the villagers. He clearly doesnāt trust them, yet wants their acknowledgement. He trusts Sasuke though, which is probably the main reason why he wants him back: he wants someone to actually have his back in the village and Sasuke did so repeatedly in the little time they spent as teammates. Naruto doesnāt want to save Sasuke from darkness, he wants to save Sasuke for himself, yet he insists on portraying his own desires as the morally correct thing to do. Itās Sasuke who is wrong for rejecting his friendship (which heās on his right to do), he is wrong for choosing revenge over his friendship, he is wrong for choosing revolution over country.
Now, about Sakura. She's at a disadvantaged position in comparison to Naruto because she remains in the dark. In her eyes and the eyes of everyone else, Sasuke has gone off the deep end. He has been consummed by revenge to the extent that he will destroy Konoha seemingly out of nowhere. To her and the rest of Konoha 11 sans Naruto, Sasuke is extremely dangerous, and she starts feeling very guilty about Naruto's determination to bring Sasuke back because of the promise Naruto made to her which puts his life at risk. When her fake confession fails dissuading Naruto, as she doesn't want Naruto's blood on her hands and Sasuke is proving to be extremely dangerous, what does she do? She chooses Naruto and the safety of the people of Konoha over Sasuke (not Konoha itself because after all, she does not have the full picture).
Personally I feel Kishimoto goes out of his way in this chapter to explain Sakura's and the rest of Konoha's 11 perspective as if the readers were 5 (and still too many people miss the point). Unlike Naruto and Kakashi, they do not know Sasuke's actual motivations.
Neither Naruto nor Sakura choose Sasuke over the village, but for completely different reasons. Sakura is kept in the dark, she does not have the complete picture, she cannot make a fully informed choice when she decides to try and kill Sasuke. Naruto on the other hand knows the Uchiha massacre was sanctioned by Konoha, yet he chooses his massacre approving country over his supposed best friend. And once he becomes Hokage and has all the power in the world, he does absolutely nothing to offer justice to Sasuke and hold Konoha accountable.
In conclusion, SNS stans from all people insisting that Sakura is particulary selfish against Sasuke is extremely hypocritical because it's Naruto who is actually so by being so insistent and forceful about taking Sasuke back to the village and denying him the lenciency and empathy he deserves as a genocide survivor (and I mean true empathy, not "I understand you but you're still wrong and full of hatred" because that's the language of the oppressor). I feel this myopic view is born out of resentment over SasuSaku becoming canon, and projection over SNS not being the perfect love story they insist it is.
Again, I get why people ship SNS, the homoerotic subtext between them both is too frequent and obvious to ignore, and the rest of the ships get absolutely no buildup except for MinaKushi and ShikaTema, but shipping should not come at the cost of being unfair to other characters and needlessly hate on them, especially when said characters are so hated on already because of bad writing and misogyny like Sakura is. And if you say you care for Sasukeās character and what he represents, then you wouldnāt whitewash Narutoās character (his selfish, toxic traits and how unfair he is to Sasuke) for the sake of shipping either.
rated R for mature content, mdni. (not proofread, gulp)
Riding Higuruma fully clothed in his bathtub right after he gets home from work is one big wet 'n soggy mess of sex. You rarely understood why he got in a tub full of water while still wearing that suit of his but tonight you were much too horny to care about that.
Climbing into the water with him and settling your legs around his, caging his limbs with your own as your naked frame filled up the entirety of his viewāleaving him complaint-less and sporting a frustratingly hard cock beneath his dark, wet pants.
Your hand snakes down in between your legs to rub over the tent in his slacks as your lips near his ear and you whisper something along the lines of desperately needing to feel him. To which he promptly responds by slouching further back against the tub, water clashing out onto the floor due to his fluid movements, and head rolling back to get more comfortable beneath you.
The moment your fingers brush against his dick, he feels something wetter than the water surrounding him build up at the swollen head of his cock, his bottom lip shifting to be clasped between his teeth. "Someone's needy, huh?" He whispers as if he wasn't currently experiencing the same state of desperation.
"Uhuh, wanna ride you, Hiro. Can I?" You ask cutely enough to make a weary smile break out against his dulled features.
Those tired, broad-set eyes of his lower against your frame before he moves his hands in slow motionāthe rough callouses of his fingers meeting your naked waist and making you whine as he carefully tugs you closer to him. Your hand loses its place against his clothed cock and you're promptly sat down on the same erection you'd been palmingāforced to feel how he twitches wildly upon feeling your bare cunt press down on him instead.
He sighs tiredly as his hands travel up, mapping out every inch of your skin like he always does while muttering, "You really wanna ride me like this? I'm still wearing my work clothes," He reminds you in a husk tone that echoes throughout the bathroom.
"Don't care," You huff. "Jus' want you inside me."
He scoffs at you before moving the thick of his thumb to your bottom lip and then tugging it down to watch how a sheeny slick of drool escapes you, "Needy little thing. Can I get a please out of that mouth? Hm?"
You take his thumb in between your lips for a moment to suck, your hips unconsciously rocking forward to feel more of himāmore of his thickening cock that's busy jumping up against the fabric between you both. You longed to feel him fuck you full again and kiss that spongey spot inside you that always makes you sob out his name.
Batting your lashes pliantly, your lips wetly pop off of him as you pout, "Please, Hiro?"
Higuruma shakes his head almost disappointedly, "Please what, sweetheart? If you can beg, you can beg properly. Tell me exactly what it is you want from me, yeah?"
"I told you already," Your pout deepens and he fights the urge to mock you. "I want you inside me. I want you to fuck me."
"Atta' girl, that's all I wanted to hear." He rolls his hips up slowly to grind up against your slobbering cunt, swallowing down a groan at how soft you feel even with all the water between your bodies. "Go on then, take it. You know it's all yours."
You don't waste a single second upon hearing that. Your hands fly down to tug at his belt, letting it fling out of the tub and land somewhere on the bathroom floor with a rough clatterāshuffling beneath the bath water to unzip him, and then reaching a hand into his boxers to finally pull his cock free.
The plump head flops out first, landing up against his clothed abdomen with that sinful left curve. The sight alone has you letting out an embarrassingly desperate moan before you lift yourself and let his hands guide you by your waist until you're hovering over him.
Then, you hesitate for a second and he lifts a dark brow.
"Don't get shy on me now," Higuruma warns, tipping his head to the side and letting his grip travel down to your hips to ease your body where he needs it, "You said you wanted to ride me so, ride me. Show me how pretty you look taking my cock, c'mon."
Feeling a bit more encouraged, you finally let your hand wrap around his wiiide base and hold him in place as you sink down on him. His mushroomy tip smears your pussylips apart and chokes a moan out of both of your throats. Your lashes flutter as you continue to travel downāinch by sprawling inchāand his eyes never leave your body.
"So gorgeous," Higuruma whispers softly before using one hand to push you further down and the other to come up 'n squeeze your tits.
It's not long before both of you are getting into the rhythm of things. By the time your cunt swallows up every inch of him, left to clench and throb around his bulging base, Higuruma's got his lips latched to your perky nipples, sucking it into his mouth and letting his tongue waft around carefree.
The feel of his sloppy mouth is only lost when you get more desperate, your hips now rocking up 'n down his cock as he thwacks! against that gummy spot inside you over and over and over again.
Then his hips are bucking up into yours and the bath water is just splashing and splashing, a pool left on the outskirts of the tubāsurely to be a hazard for the two of you later. His hands are at the purchase of your hips again, aiding you in your bouncing while he peers up at you with pretty glossed-over eyes.
Higuruma's a mess of pants and soft praises, words rolling off of his tongue, "Look s'beautiful fucking yourself on my cock like that. Bet it feels s'good, huh?" He teases, earning a cockdrunk nod of your head and then cracking a dazed smile at you, "Yeahh? You like fucking yourself on me like this?"
Your response is mumbled out to him but he gets the idea with how frantic your movements become.
Only a few more minutes of that pass before he's pinning you in place above him and scrunching his brows, staring dead up into your eyes before bucking his hips up with fervor.
Whatever moan was on its way out your throat trips against your vocal cords as air is politely stripped from your lungs.
Then his breath grows ragged and all thoughts between you are lost before something soooobs out his cockhead in gooey gushes, his cum flooding your walls and feeling all the more goopy inside you with the addition of the bathwater.
...I called her. That's what she was. A magic doll. [...] 'Let me dress you, let me brush your hair,' I would say out of old habit, aware of her smiling and watching me with the thin veil of boredom over her expression.
If you're ever bored, here's a list of Studio Ghibli films you can watch for free.
Castle In The Sky (1986)
Grave of the Fireflies (1988)
My Neighbor Totoro (1988)
Kikiās Delivery Service (1989)
Only Yesterday (1991)
Porco Rosso (1992)
Pom Poko (1994)
Whisper of the Heart (1995)
Princess Mononoke (1997)
My Neighbors the Yamadas (1999)
Spirited Away (2001)
The Cat Returns (2002)
Howlās Moving Castle (2004)
Tales from Earthsea (2006)
Ponyo On A Cliff From The Sea (2008)
The Secret World of Arrietty/The Borrower Arrietty (2010)
From Up on Poppy Hill (2011)
If any of the links stop working, please let me know so I can fix it.
For Castle In The Sky, wait for the free user button to be clickable and it will send you to the video.
hi! can you please explain ra's perspective on that quote of his, "children eat your heart. it is a most sublime way to die."
i think in perspective of that arc itās about what talia separating from him really entails on a parental level. if we notice in future arcs raās never actually pursues talia after she breaks away from him. what convinces her to join lex corp is lex staging an attack on her by her father when raās actually has no involvement in it. when dick has trouble being adopted by bruce itās bc of trouble raās creates in revenge for being separated from his daughter, but he doesnāt take out the anger on talia herself. the cd talia gives lex with all of raās dirt on people around the globe is something he assumably gives her willingly in exchange for the fact that she saved his life. heās scorned certainly by her separation, but i think the above statement also feels emblematic of pride bc he recognizes sheās capable of being powerful in her own right now, to where she can stand apart as another equal to him. thatās why the death would be sublime. bc she would have proved herself even if she had to metaphorically cannibalize him in the process (and itās why i wish we actually ever saw a reaction from him to how she took down lex corp bc it would certainly be interesting in light of this quote)
ā cw: religious imagery but no specific religion, exhibitionism, emotional manipulation, god complex, public nudity, fingering, unprotected, oral (f -> m), sex cult behaviour. 3k words.
ā note: did my research on cults for this one, also based on this request.
āCome hereā you hear his voice after calling your name, the tone gives you chills.
You know better than to fear him, this is not the first time he calls you to the main room of the temple ā a place that has become the closest thing you can call a home now. This room in particular is already very known to you, so why the fear? Canāt you remember the familiar feeling of the tatami under your knees? What about against your cheek? Wasnāt worth the pain of having your face rubbing on it while your master roughly thrusted into your behind? You do recall his pitiful smile when he realized what the mat had done to the soft skin of your face, right? He kissed it so tenderly while holding you like you were made of glass, a glass he didnāt mind breaking a few minutes prior to that, but now, glass.
So whatās wrong now?
Except for the dozens of followers sitting on their knees in that same room right now. How come you never saw that many people before? And more importantly, why are you seeing them now?
A few hours ago, he left you two things along with a note with the time and place you had to be. Those things are: a sheer black lace mask, very delicate fabric meant for your eyes, the type of thing you could picture a woman using in a ball in the 1800s, and a yukata, a simple one. You thought it was weird he didnāt leave an obi ā the belt to tie up the yukata, so you took one from your own drawer to complete the traditional piece.
The mask is clearly not part of it, but you know better than to question him. Besides, the note is clear, you must wear nothing but those things. Nothing.
The room you thought you knew now seems strange and gloomy, itās nighttime so thereās only a few candles lightening it up, thereās an essence burning somewhere the smell is weak but itās there.
Geto in all his glory sits in his altar, his feet are up in the mat, unlike everyone else sitting on their legs. He has the pose of a deity and clearly that is what everyone thinks too.
Your bare feet touch the tatami, slowly approaching the altar and feeling the dozen pairs of eyes upon you, the offsetting lighting doesn't allow you to see their faces, which is probably for the best, yet Getoās was lit up as if the sun itself rose for him and him only.
āLook at her, when I met her she was sick, this beautiful lady had a disease. I tried to look away, she was too far gone, but what did I do instead, sweet child?ā
āYou saved my lifeā you respond without batting an eye, your mind feels cloudy.
āKneelā you obey taking place beside him.
Maybe he is a deity after all.
Just that day you were having a conversation with the twins. They had so many questions, especially after seeing you hurt by some curse, so many whyās leaving their little mouths.
āIt doesnāt matter!ā your voice rose for the first time since taking them in your embrace āIf Geto-sama says itās day and the sky is dark, itās day. If he says itās night when you can see the sun, you go to bed because you sleep when itās night, understood?ā
Sometimes you barely recognize the voice that leaves your lips. Scolding is something you never saw yourself doing, not to the girls you loved more than anything.
In your situation one would assume this behavior is driven by fear, what would Geto do if he found out your girls were questioning his actions? They cannot possibly care more about this non-sorcerer in front of them. Never.
But those people would be wrong. Fear does make you do what you do. Love does.
Only love makes you stay put in front of him when he unties your yukata, love has you looking him in the eye even while the disapproval for the presence of the obi is evident.
Geto makes you sit facing him, his stunning image much more welcoming than the unlighted audience, heās big enough for you to understand can still see the quiet crowd behind you. His calloused hands touch your shoulders under the yukata, the soft touch is enough to warm up your entire body as he slowly revells a skin decorated by some few bruises, some caused by curses, some caused by gods, wellā¦ one god.
āSheās still not cured, I donāt know if sheāll ever beā he doesnāt have to project his voice too much in the quiet room, the hot breathing fans over your face, āBut Iāll keep trying neverthelessā he says more quietly.
Getoās hand goes between your legs and you have trouble keeping your sounds to yourself. His hand is big, and the space between your closed legs ā while youāre still sitting on them ā and your core is narrow, Geto has to be a little rough to get where he wants to.
And he always gets what he wants.
Your face is warm, breathing erratically but stillā¦ youāre not panicking even given the disturbing setting. Itās all due to him, if it was anyone else you would be screaming right now, fighting your way out of this.
Geto starts to stroke your folds with his fingers while talking about sins, the best thing you can do is shut your little brain from overthinking everything he says and taking it as personal.
However, what is left to do when he keeps going on and on about undeserving ones while teasing your fluttering hole? You canāt even look him in the eye, just keep staring his throat as he speaks. Your gasp interrupts him when he inserts a finger, both your hands to your mouth, you were distracted enough to forget this was obviously the next step.
Geto snaps his eyes back to you, not glad about the interruption, yet he resumes his speech so he can go on with his plans.
Your hands remain on your closed mouth, not wanting to make the same mistake again. Geto adds another finger and starts scissoring you, which worries you slightly, you thought this was merely a play for the followers, an exhibition of power, but the stretching heās doing indicates he plans to go all the way. That and the erection under his haori, which you shouldāve led you to suspect his intentions from the beginning since heās never presented himself to his followers without all the layers of his traditional clothing.
Geto removes his fingers, straightening his posture as he finishes his sentence, he pats his lap and you find his eyes, they are predatory, from then on youāre dealing with Geto-sama, not Suguru.
Youāre already undoing the ropes that tie his haori just like he did to you a few minutes ago. Heās bare under the fabric, dick is tall and hard, the leaking tip shines under the orange glow of the candlelight as you align it with your entrance.
āIf you canāt control your urges, theyāll control youā he claims, hands behind your knees, his voice is steady but the grip he has on you tells itās hard to control himself too.
āNo person or thing should control youā¦ except for meā the last part is whispered for your ears only. You bottom out on him, needing a moment to recover, not just from the stretch on your lower half but from his words and by how willing you are to let him control you.
Especially when he puts his hand on your head, pressuring slightly guiding you to his neck. He keeps his hand there, caressing your hair as you relax on his hold, like heās comforting someone who's just lost a dear relative, not a simple villager he spared and is now balls deep inside dozens of followers.
With a sharp pinch on your thigh Geto signs you to start moving, you arch your back and raise your hips to slide out of his cock till only the tip is left then sitting back. Since the yukata was not fully removed, it stays on you, sleeves pooling on the middle of your arms, the rest serves as a curtain, keeping the audience from viewing the junction of you and your savior.
You busy your mouth by kissing and sucking his neck, he gives your hair a discreet pull, a warning to not mark him, guess it would be bad for his reputation if his beloved sorcerers find out heās whipped by a good-for-nothing human.
All they know ā as far as Geto is concerned ā, is that youāre his little pet, kind of a 3 for the price of 2 after he took in the twins, a package deal he simply had to accept.
Whatever, you donāt care about them anyways. As long as theyāre treating your girls as one of their own, it doesnāt matter how they treat you. Geto, Mimiko and Nanako are all you need to be content with your life.
Geto should limit himself from touching you, his fingers shouldnāt be tracing the little marks and scratches on your back.
āYou are not perfect, mistakes will happen, thatās why you need someone to guide youā he talks to the audience, his chin resting on your shoulders as the tip of his fingers run over each trauma and imperfections on your back. At this point ā with his dick reaching such a sweet spot inside your walls ā, you are not sure if heās still indirectly talking to you, but something makes you think heās talking to himself, about you.
Is it such a delusional thought? That you are the one guiding him and not the other way around? You thighs clench around him, the awkward feeling in your chest start to bring clarity to your pleasure blurred mind and you start to look around reflecting on your situation.
Geto relizes something switched in your dumb little head, you do that sometimes, look around with wide eyes and heavy breathing. Suguru remembers the days in jujutsu tech, when he was confused, consumed by the trauma and unsure about his future. Why did you make him remember that? Your chest is rising rapidly, he doesnāt want you to panic, thatās not supposed to happen under his watch.
Youāre taken from his lap.
āYou love me, donāt you?ā Suguru holds your chin bringing your focus to him, only him. You nod slowly, admiring his sculpted face by the candlelight, āThen what are you afraid of?ā
You search your mind for all the reasons to be afraid right now, shouldnāt be hard, all you need is to look around and remember why youāre here.
Yet his hazel eyes donāt allow you to find any of those reasons, somehow your heart doesnāt feel so heavy anymore.
āDonāt you trust me?ā he rubs your chin and you nod again, āShow meā you blink confusingly, āShow me how much you love me.ā
Youāre sitting on your knees as your eyes trail down where his member is still hard, it glistens with your juices and throbs slightly, the sight is too irresistible.
So you bow to your savior, taking him fully into your mouth, the position giving the closest thing to a privacy moment, where you could pretend itās just you and Suguru like in the late nights in his chamber.
āThere you goā he sighs happily patting your head, not putting any pressure, like what youāre doing is not sexual at all.
Itās merely a form of adoration. And Geto deserves being adored.
Naturally, you take him as deep as you possibly can, focusing your best in worshiping every inch of his skin, putting as much love into it as you can, not even minding the emptiness on your lower half or how youāre dripping on the mat.
Thereās a buzz in your ear, you know Geto is talking, finishing his speech probably, but you canāt actually hear him, feels like hearing someone talking from a distance.
The last thing you remember is the hot shot on the back of your throat and the member twitching in your mouth. You think you heard Geto moan, which brings a weird feeling in your stomach since, as far as you know, youāre supposed to be the only one to hear that. His thumb goes to your chin, whipping the saliva and cum, pushing you to release him, you do, but you keep kissing his soft length until the smell of him mixed with the candles and something only this room had made you black out.
Phenomenal.
A word that resumes what Geto thinks about your performance tonight. If he gave you a script it wouldnāt have played out so perfectly.
Sometimes Geto underestimates how willing you are to be controlled by him.
When everything is done, he takes you into his arms, after wrapping the Yukata back around your body, he raises to his feet and steps down from his small stage carrying you.
Thereās a door behind the stage, passing the curtains, which he usually uses as entrance and exit. Yet that night he feels like walking through the audience, with a pretty little thing unconscious on his mighty arms and a bunch of loyal followers bowing on his feet he experiences being, truly, a god.
This interview comes from the Official French Naruto distributor, Kana : http://www.kana.fr/linterview-de-masashi-kishimoto-kaboom/#.WvmrC2iFP3m
I : There are lot of orphans in Naruto. Are you interested in that character archetype ?
Kishi : I had the chance to grow in a happy family with my parents. But I had the opportunity to watch closely what loneliness can do to a person with a few of my old friends being orphans. There was this friend who was older than me and I got along with him pretty well. As time went on and we grew closer, I could see his frustration of being orphan.
Nobody gave him the newest toy and there was nobody giving him presents either. This person left quite a impact on me, and I remember when I used to feel sorry for him, he told me that parents can be a source of problems and conflicts. This was maybe true, but I felt this answer was some sort of pride or provocation to me. I donāt know why, but as a kid, I was very curious and sensitive about family problems.
I remember listening carefully to my friendsā stories about how their parents divorced and how they were living with their mothers. They were entrusting their problems to me and I tried to give them advices as best as I could. At the same time, I grew conscious of their problems and psychological states.
Thus, when the time came I went to tell a story about ninjas, I remembered those little villages from Nara ā¦ like Iga or Kouga, where one could really learn to be a spy. Death was something that was ackwnoledged early on in such a carreer and children in training knew they wouldnāt get to know their parents for very long. Once I decided that Naruto and his friends were going to be orphans, the memories of my childhood friends ( And especially this older friend ) came back to me and everything that came with that. I knew what I was going to tell and I dove into my childhood memories to create the multiple characters of Naruto. I had so much to tell.
I : By the way, relations by blood, real families ā¦ when they exists in Naruto are always dysfunctional. Like the only family that matters are the ninjas, this gigantic community. Where did this idea came from ?
Kishi : Not limitating families by their blood relations seemed mandatory to me. The most obvious example of this is the relation between Naruto & Jiraiya. These two lonely beings, an hermit and an orphan, made the master/student relation works very well. Itās very family like. The word āfamilyā as most people understand it is too limited as far as Iām concerned.
Especially since Iām writing for children who may or may not face the problem of parents divorcing.
This conception of families comes from the region I grew up in, where peoples used to get together in groups called āKumisā ( Clans or Groups in japanese. ) The custom was that you have to treat each member of the community like your own family. At home, the clan was called āKou-Gumiā. And we used to gather in groups of 8 or 10 to gather wood to prepare the baths, others would cultivate rice and those who finish early would help the others.
Members of clans would gather each month to eat together and at funerals they were on the first seats. If one of the family would invite the priest to eat after the funeral ceremony, the others members of the clan were invited at the dinner too. The way the clan worked was like a real family, so this is why this āKumiā system left such an impact on me. My village, in a way, worked like the communities created by the ninjas of old.
Thus this experience influenced me when I created the ninja village system in Naruto. From the start, the ninjas were supposed to be one big family
I : In the end, Naruto & Sasuke are two faces of the same problem : Theyāre orphans. But they cope in completely different ways.
Kishi : This was deliberate of me that those two characters would oppose each other by how they think. The difference is that Naruto is orphan by birth, but Sasuke still has his parents. And Sasuke suffers from his parents presence, but he suffers a lot more after they die. And thatās where their first emotional difference is.
Sasuke says Naruto canāt understand his suffering because he never had the chance to have a bond with his parents. And in truth, Naruto really doesnāt get it. Naruto will eventually form a close master/student bond with Jiraiya. Jiraiya gives attention, teaching and care to Naruto, a bit like a foster father.
A foster father Naruto will grow to like and who will eventually be killed by Pain. At this point Naruto understand what a family can feel like and starts to understand what Sasuke could feel. But this experience comes too late and he doesnāt get the chance to talk about it with Sasuke.
Their reaction to losing close ones makes them even more different. Sasuke let himself be controlled by hatred. A hatred as strong as the love he used to feel. But for Naruto, the loss comes with a self reflection about revenge, pain and how personality and actions can evolve based on that. After seeing what revenge did to Sasuke, Naruto shows an enormous amount of self restrain and he feels he must learn to control himself to not become like this.
Thatās his true performance as the hero: He survives pain & loss without abandoning himself to vengeance and hatred, realising the difference between self interest and public interest.
I continued to play with this opposition so it could grow step by step. I wanted to take the reader by surprise. Naruto, at first, seems very emotional and instinctive and Sasuke is the one who seems cold & emotionless. But as time goes on, the roles are reversed. Emotions and logic arenāt always obvious at first.
To be frank, the reality is more complex. I feel closer to Sasuke as I would never be able to forget or forgive the one who murders my family. I can see myself in the way Sasuke reacts but reacting like him lead to an overwhelming amount of hatred and violence and to war. History repeats itself and the circle must be broken.
This manga talks a lot about not repeating the errors of the past. And to be completely honest, overcoming traumatic experiences like Naruto does seems a bit idealist and naive to me. Even though, this kind of utopic idealism has to be written and defended in Shounen mangas. Shounen mangas must carry hope,above all.
I : More often than not, the children falls victims to their parents plot but they donāt object and are kind of submissive in that aspect. Especially Naruto himself. Did you realized this and can you explain behind your desire to show Narutoās optimism, his childhood bullied by society.
Kishi : I was a very obedient kid and never contested the authority of adults, my parents or even my teachers. Their words were truth to me and I never asked myself questions. Very naturally, this part of me went into my characters. Most of the kids I knew were like me and those who were more Independent, more free or more āPunkā I should say never really left an impact on me. I didnāt feel like putting them in my story.
By instinct, I naturally puts āgood kidsā in my stories. When capitalism came into japan, after the war, it led to a very comfortable time for my generation. Thatās why the least I could do was to thank them and obey as a sign of gratitude.
I was scared of my parents and the society of course, but I never had particular frustration of any kind. I silently noted the contradictions of the adults speeches and just didnāt voice my opinion. In my mangas, of course, I voice my opinion. I voice my opinion more clearly, more freely since I write the story of the world I create. Thatās a bit cowardly, maybe ( laugh. ) I wonāt say Iām an anarchist, Iām a rather obedient person outside of my stories.
I : The world of Naruto is always attacked by various threats, first policics. But bit by bit, you reveal that the hatred the enemies feel is just a mask, a mask to hide childhood trauma, psyche wounds and personal scars that time changed into some crazy project.
Kishi : In the first chapters of Naruto, I already talk about power struggles, politics and the main projects of the main Trio. But what interest me isnāt the end goal, but how they came to have that goal in the first place. How did they came to act like they do ? I really dig this psychological process. I think the reader is like me: He wants to understand. So I talk about the place the characters grow up, the reasoning behind their acts. I try to make the reader feel empathy for a character who seems evil at first sight.
Because thatās the thing. In most of the shounen mangas, the enemy is the ultimate evil. He canāt be reasoned with. But countless mangas do that already and I didnāt want Naruto to be just a repeat of other stories.
So rather than focusing on the enemyās powers and actions, I would rather tell his birth, and how he turned into a monster. The motivations of those characters are often rather simple, Itās always personal, like childhood problems or traumatic experiences that makes the reader identify to the character and feel empathy to him.
I always try to give some hints about their past here and there so the characters arenāt too simple. I progress step by step to make sure the reader can identify to the character slowly and progressively. I make sure to create characters that feels different from eachother, and different from the other jump mangas.
I : Talking about differences, one of best thing of Naruto is your work on the characterās designs. You didnāt use any medieval japan and military stereotypes. You work on the clothes, youāre aware about fashion and whatās popular. Where do these influences come from ?
Kishi : The animators of the animated series Naruto often praise me for my designs, because on how crazy they are, which makes my job even more difficult. Personally, Iām not really aware if itās good or not. It may seems obvious, but I wanted to distance myself away from the cliche ninja dressed in black on purpose.
I didnāt see any point in using an image that has been used countless time already. So I took the opposite direction. A little blond guy with a jumpsuit, and not even japanese. I wanted my character to be stateless, like Akira Toriyamaās characters. That was the basic idea.
Then there are some particularities based on my personal obsessions, like zippers.
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 I eventually stopped putting too much details, the designs were getting to complicated for a weekly manga.
I : You mentioned Akira Toriyama. With Katsuhiro Otomo, heās one of your biggest inspiration. You were influenced a lot by their styles and even today you have difficulties distancing yourself from their styles. Today, as a professional, how would you describe Otomo & Toriyamaās styles, in technical terms. And what is left of their work today ?
Kishi : Otomo and Toriyama impressed me the moment I discovered their mangas, when I was a teen. Akira Toriyama forever changed shounen mangas with his āpop"ish designs. I drew a lot from Dragon Ball to create Naruto. An initiatory journey, the character gets older, he faces incredible difficulties that canāt be overcome at first and he must overcome those trials with incredible efforts and a story divived in two main parts.
Toriyamaās style still impress me to this day, and as a kid as spent a lot of time analysing his style. The bodies arenāt realistic, theyāre disproportionate and sometimes simplified to the extreme. This could be just mere awkwardness or clumsiness, but itās not. Everything is mastered and has a purpose.
Heās trying to create an effect : either comical or dramatic. And the way he draws his backgrounds shows how much Toriyama is a master : The proportions and perspectives are on point and detailed. There is contrast between his characters and backgrounds that I really like but canāt really master myself. Toriyama is a master of graphical effects.
I love how easily readable his panels are. He draws his panels a little more "dezoomedā than usual so more of the action could be seen. Those panels shows how much the direction, following the action, and the interaction with the background is mastered : Each character is at the right place, no contradictions. Itās even more obvious in real actions sequences, where the fighting, the actions chain up with eachother perfectly and itās made all very clear for the reader to understand. Iām often told that mangas are sometimes hard to read.
But Toriyamaās skill in dividing the action and making it easy to read is unmatched. And he uses this skill with a lot of different angles, like the high-angle shot which heās excellent at.
Otomo is an incredible master too. He pushed his esthetic sense in a completely personal direction. He takes care of every single detail, even if he knows the reader wonāt probably notice it. I love that with him. His works really left a impression on me, like Domu or Akira.
For me, the themes of his designs arenāt obvious but are more commonly explored by his characters. Akira will never be surpassed as far as Iām concerned. Otomo was inspired by Moebius and as far as art goes, heās in a completely other league compared to me. Iām no match and this canāt be debated. And Iām not even talking about his skill in panels creation, rythm and angles. The focus always changes and he can apply deformations to each of his angles with a insulting precision. His deformed angles, like in Fisheye are just perfect and theyāre arenāt just gratuitous.
They exist to make the character express himself. Itās like Otomo has a digital camera in his brain, itās very rare in mangas. Heās the only one in japan, with Tayio Matsumoto, who can do this. Itās not coincidence both were influenced by european comic books, and Moebius especially. Otomo is the first one who I really felt removed the barrier between mangas and cinema. Domu was like a reading a movie, and I never realized you could do that before reading it.
I : Naruto is about to end. How do you decide when a story like this must end ? Do you have any doubts on to how to end it ?
Kishi : As far as Iām concerned, Naruto canāt exist without Sasuke, his opposite. Like with complementary colors, they canāt exist without eachother. Naruto want to be acknowledged and Sasuke doesnāt acknowledge anyone but himself. If they manage to sort out their problems, their bonds will likely come to a close and this story wonāt have any reason to continue. I still have a few doubts, but I have the last scene carved in my mind. I still need to develop Obitoās character and everything will be ready for the climax.
END
