One of the reasons I appreciate Team Taka’s dynamics is the presence of free will in their bond, at least to a certain extent. Sasuke didn’t force any of the members to join him or stay with him. He freed Suigetsu, then he asked both Juugo and Karin in a way that involved no coercion or manipulation on either side. And the members’ decisions to follow Sasuke in the end were all voluntary, which already sets their group apart in a series where most alliances are shaped by duty, ideology, or control.
Now, I don’t think their bond is especially deep or intensely emotional or anything, mostly because they were constantly on the move so there was barely any space, if any, for genuine heart-to-heart conversations; and also because Sasuke’s mental state was rapidly deteriorating at the time. His instability, combined with the ever-changing circumstances around them, likely prevented him from forming any deep, emotionally invested relationships during that period.
But there’s one thing about fighting alongside others in life-and-death situations: it can forge trust quickly since you have to watch each other’s backs and quite literally place your life in someone else’s hands. And as shown in the manga, during the time they’re together, Team Taka had great synergy in combat. They all saved each other when possible, knew when to jump in or step back, and followed Sasuke’s lead in dire situations without resisting his decisions, showing a certain level of trust in each other’s abilities and, by extent, assessments and judgements.
There’s also an instance when Sasuke awoke his second Mangekyou Sharingan’s ability to save Karin when the black flame caught her. And as we all know, the evolutions and/ or developments of the Sharingan are tied to strong emotions (love, protectiveness, hatred, grief, fear—any feeling that’s intense enough can trigger the transformation, not just hatred only as the anti-Uchiha crowd would like to scream about the so-called Curse of Hatred propaganda.) Sasuke even includes Team Taka, along with Team 7, in the list of people he wants to protect, which is also a good indication that they hold a meaningful place in his heart.
From the members’ side, they could have left at any time they wanted to. It wasn’t like Sasuke held his sword to their throat then dragged them along with him by a forced loyalty, like, ever. They remained by his side on their own volition, which means they chose to stay for reasons that mattered to each of them (which I’d like to dive deeper into in another post when I have time to re-review the manga.) Their bond might not be the deepest or most profound connection in the series, but it’s certainly real. And honestly, it doesn’t matter what we, the readers, choose to label it—friends, comrades, found family, teammates with benefits, assortment of Orochimaru’s experiments gone rogue, whatever.
Sasuke did have a goal in mind when choosing Team Hebi/Taka, but he didn’t manipulate them into following him out of obligation for being freed. They knew they had a choice. And while I’d objectively categorise their relationship as “good comrades” at best and “mutually beneficial allies” at worst, the key thing here is that no one’s autonomy was denied. And to me, that’s a rare and valuable dynamic, an aspect that should be highlighted and held in higher regard, especially when you consider:
Every member of Taka had previously been subjected to varying degrees of captivity, experimentation, or psychological manipulation, often without genuine consent (even in cases where it seemed like they had agreed, it’s hard to ignore how both Orochimaru and Kabuto relied on coercion, deceit, and power imbalances to secure that compliance.)
How many people in Sasuke’s life approached him with an agenda or ulterior motive, with their own vision of what he “should be” or “should act like”, rather than seeing him as a person with his own desires and trauma. Very few ever truly cared about his feelings, wants, thoughts, or even his autonomy. Almost no one, even those closest to Sasuke, genuinely saw or treated him as a person instead of a tool to use, a pawn to control, or a prize to gain.
Yes, including the two people who supposedly loved him most: Itachi and Naruto. Not at first or always, at least. While I can give Naruto some benefit of the doubt since he eventually made an effort to understand Sasuke’s perspective as the story progressed (though how successful he truly was is still debatable in my opinion), Itachi, on the other hand… his love for Sasuke is deeply complicated. I want to believe it was genuine, that he truly loved Sasuke from the bottom of his heart, but the way he showed it was so explicitly entangled in manipulation, lies, deception, and gaslighting; a love so complex and twisted that it felt like a “great in theory, terrible in execution” case.
There’s one panel where Killer Bee asked Itachi why he didn’t use Shisui’s eye to brainwash Sasuke earlier, to which Itachi replied that he couldn’t at that time because the ability has a 10+ years cooldown. That choice of word—“couldn’t”, not “wouldn’t”—is horrifying in its implication. And he still planned on doing it in the future by giving Naruto that eye! (Though, in his defense, he did say that he hoped Naruto’d never need to use its power, but still, the intention here is clear enough to suggest that Itachi was willing to go as far as completely erasing his brother’s autonomy if he deemed the act necessary.)
Naruto, on the other hand, was very adamant and insistent about taking Sasuke back to the village without trying to truly understand the logic behind his actions for more than half of the story. Most of the time, Naruto prioritised Sasuke’s survival and reintegration into Konoha over respecting his free will. While his intentions may stem from care, his actions still reflect a disturbing willingness to sacrifice Sasuke’s agency for a greater ideological goal.
So… to both of them (at least at the points of the story I’ve listed), as long as Sasuke’s alive and potentially moldable, even as a docile puppet without free will to serve Konoha, then it’s alright? His own feelings and thoughts might as well be ignored and discarded since they didn’t benefit—and even actively went against—their pro-Konoha view? I’m sorry, but what the actual fuck?
And this is coming from the two individuals who we’ve been told repeatedly that they love Sasuke the most. That’s without even delving into the broader, deeply unsettling pattern of how the people around Sasuke have treated him: projecting their own ideals onto him without considering him as an individual with a mind of his own (as seen with Kakashi), idolising him superficially without making any real effort to understand him (as many), or reducing him to a tool for their own purposes (as Orochimaru, Kabuto, Obito, and probably more but you got my point with those three already.)
Sasuke’s autonomy is repeatedly undermined, ignored, or outright stripped and taken away from him throughout the manga. He is used, manipulated, and burdened with expectations that weren’t his own, and then vilified when he constantly attempts to break free and reclaim the ability to make his own choices, independent of others’ influence or control.
How is that in any way fair?
All in all, that’s why I think Team Taka’s relationship with Sasuke is such a breath of fresh air. While it might not be that deeply sentimental, there’s trust, there’s respect, and no emotional blackmail or narrative of control disguised as love. Each of them had their own reasons for joining, and none of those reasons involved denying Sasuke his agency. That’s more than I can say for most of the people in his life.
By no means do I think their relationship is perfect: it’s messy, pragmatic, occasionally dysfunctional, and sometimes strained by Sasuke’s deteriorating psyche, but it’s real, authentic, and valid. They trust each other in battle, respect each other’s individuality, and operate without the manipulation that defines so many of Sasuke’s other connections. I’d go even further to argue that this dynamic offers a counterpoint to the series’ broader themes of control and sacrifice, showing that bonds can be meaningful without requiring someone to surrender their free will.
So, in my opinion, Kishimoto really missed the opportunity to explore the richness of Team Taka’s relationship further. The groundwork for a found family built on mutual respect and autonomy was right there, but it was sorely underutilised. They could have become a symbol of true partnership, where each person is respected not as a tool, but as an individual. Instead, they were sidelined far too early, with their bond relegated to a secondary narrative that didn’t get the development it deserved.
In the end, it was such a waste, and that’s what I truly lament. Their relationship to me was one of the few in the series that felt genuine and not overshadowed by political agendas, manipulation, or power dynamics. I wish that they’d have gone on the journey with Sasuke after the war ended.
(Which is why I’m writing post-war canon divergence fictions to see the vision I dream of for them, but well, that’s another story entirely. And while I’d love to see them as a found family, they’re by every means still very dysfunctional and chaotic at times, but that’s my cup of tea so you won’t hear me complain LOL)
nanook kaeya again. I combined kaeyas and nanooks lore together. AU takes place after the teyvats war with celestia comes to an end with a bad end and everythings destroyed. Kaeya ascends to godhood to prevent it all from happening ever again. Because it cant happen if its all destroyed. Am i right? :^)
ive been too chronically online for this. anyway, here's aldo (again) with his limited edition cardinal thomas lawrence dean of the college of cardinals labewbew
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