#naruto chapter 27

[0ynes]

This two moments are what keeps Sasuke and Naruto up at night for the next years, and also why they feel like they owe each other something.

[moss-veins]

I’ve wrote about this scene before, while watching it in the anime. However, in the manga the scene is much more intimate (when considering the body language).

Specifically this panel. I mean, just looking at it! The intimacy is very obvious. However, to make it more obvious I would like to compare it to how the anime portrays it and how the manga also shows Sakura’s body language when Sasuke is “dead.”

Firstly, looking at the anime we can see how it was changed from the manga. How Naruto is holding Sasuke is still intimate in the anime but it’s less so... Which I’m sure was done on purpose to make it seem less “weird.” Naruto’s hand is moved from Sasuke’s face, to support him with a hand on his shoulder and a light touch on his abdomen. The distance between Naruto and Sasuke’s bodies is also greater in the anime. We can also see that Naruto’s face isn’t as close to Sasuke’s. (The manga even shows Sasuke to be laying more in Naruto’s lap whereas Sasuke is just leaning towards Naruto in the anime... but my focus is mostly to do with the first image.)

Now look at how Sakura’s body language towards Sasuke. It’s less intimate, but still comforting.

What’s the difference between Sakura and Naruto in the two manga panels? They’re both touching Sasuke’s face... but how they’re touching the face tells a lot. Here, Sakura’s hand is  more to the side of Sasuke’s head, a comforting gesture that is acceptable between non-romantic and various types of non-romantic intimate relationships (for an example, it wouldn’t be weird to see a mother touch her child like this to comfort them). Her face is also further away from Sasuke’s. Now, back to this image:

How is this intimate (and obviously so)? In the manga, Naruto’s arm is supporting Sasuke’s head with his arm behind Sasuke’s neck while Naruto’s hand cups Sasuke’s face with a finger close (less than an inch) away from Sasuke’s bottom lip. I’m not try to suggest that Naruto was thinking about Sasuke’s lips during this moment. Of course he isn’t! Naruto is upset about Sasuke’s “death.” However, the body language on display is instinctual (like most body language is) and coveys closeness. However, the type of closeness is being shown differently between Sakura’s and Naruto’s reactions. Where Sakura’s body language tells that of care from general closeness (i.e., a mother or friend), Naruto’s reactions look more like that of a lover. Not to mention that his face is so close while looking at Sasuke. To show how this position is even more intimate.... Imagine if this scene was being played out differently. Imagine if Naruto was still holding Sasuke’s face like this, that Naruto’s face was still so close to Sasuke’s, but they were not in battle and Sasuke was not “dying” or “dead.” It seems “weird,” right? For friends or rivals. Why? Because in the imaginary scenario, it almost could be a scene right before a kiss. Now, I’m not trying to make light of this scene... It’s very sad and not a romantic one. I’m just trying to show that this position that Naruto is holding Sasuke in is telling of Naruto’s feelings for Sasuke (whether Naruto wants to admit them to himself or not). There is a longing and a sense of loss in the image. Anyways, I just had to talk about this. I’ve started reading through the manga for the first time and was very surprised when I saw this panel. I’ve seen other people talk about the panels afterwards (where we see Naruto get close to Sasuke from behind and it looks suggestive). However, I haven’t seen anyone talk about this yet! If what follows is a suggestive kiss, then I wouldn’t be surprised that a kiss did happen considering this panel. Although I don’t think this scene is romantic, it doesn’t mean that kisses only happen during romantic situations. There are plenty of examples in media of lovers kissing while one dies in their lover’s arms (or after their lover is already dead). Am I saying a kiss happened? No. But whether one did or not, Kishimoto decided to make Naruto hold Sasuke’s face in an intimate manner (that is not motherly, not that of a friend, nor that of a rival). He also decided to draw a suggestive kiss (or at least Naruto’s face was touching Sasuke’s face when Naruto closed the gap between them).