Naruto, Vol. 54: Viaduct to Peace

Naruto [ナルト] #54

by Masashi Kishimoto

Naruto is a young shinobi with an incorrigible knack for mischief. He's got a wild sense of humor, but Naruto is completely serious about his mission to be the world's greatest ninja!

Genres: Manga, Fantasy, Comics, Shonen, Fiction, Comics Manga, Adventure

192 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 29, 2010

About the author

Masashi Kishimoto (岸本斉史 Kishimoto Masashi) is a Japanese manga artist, well known for creating the manga series Naruto. His younger twin brother, Seishi Kishimoto, is also a manga artist and creator of the manga series O-Parts Hunter (666 Satan) and Blazer Drive. Two of his former assistants, Osamu Kajisa (Tattoo Hearts) and Yuuichi Itakura (Hand's), have also gone on to moderate success following their work on Naruto.

Kishimoto's first work as a manga artist was Karakuri (カラクリ?), which he submitted to Shueisha in 1995. This earned him the Weekly Shōnen Jump's monthly "Hop Step Award" in 1996, granted to promising new manga artists. This was followed in 1997 by a pilot version of Naruto (NARUTO－ナルト－), published in Akamaru Jump Summer. In 1998, Kishimoto premiered as a Weekly Shōnen Jump artist with a serialized version of Karakuri in Weekly Shōnen Jump, but it proved unpopular and was canceled soon after. In 1999, a serialized version of Naruto began publication in Weekly Shōnen Jump and quickly became a hit.

Reviews

[Christian Savin · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume concludes the Ame orphans' story with a final flashback chapter and the last stand of Konan against Akatsuki's real enemy. Unfortunately, it was too soon for Tobi to die, so of course Kishimoto had to save his sorry ass with plot armor. But even so, Konan managed to push him more than anyone else in what still is (arguably) one of the most underrated fights in the entire series. One of its best, too. And despite being the de jure second-in-command within Pain's iteration of the Akatsuki, as well as its sole female member, Konan herself was one of the most underused characters in the entire series. The fandom's response to the writing of her character, her only full-fledged fight, and untimely demise speaks for itself. Amegakure's angelic herald of death still had so much more potential that could have been explored in the War Arc, but she definitely drew the short end of the stick compared to every other major character around her. Which is why I can't help but still feel bitter about the unceremonious way she went out.

I'd also like to mention the problematic way Kishimoto seems to erase accountability with certain characters' deaths. 'The measure of a shinobi's life is determined by his manner of death' shouldn't really apply to criminals and terrorists like Kisame. Sure, he was a great antagonist and had a strong sense of loyalty, albeit misplaced. But he was also fucked up in the head and committed a lot crimes. Fulfilling his final mission and then killing himself to not allow the enemy to access intel from him does not absolve him of any of that. In his defense, tho, the War Arc is going to be full of that kind of shit, so this is still tolerable, I guess.

[Bradley · Rating 3 out of 5]

Guy's fighting again with Kisame, but at least it's the final fight. It was interesting to see him open up more gates, but I'll always remember Lee doing it with more style. :)

Okay. I hated how Naruto's bodyguards treated him like an idiot, and how Kishimoto let him fall for it.

At least Kisame's backstory was filling.

[Ola G · Rating 3 out of 5]

6/10 stars

Mmm, this volume has some good parts, like the confrontation with dark Naruto, but mostly is very goofy and all over the place in terms of mood, storytelling and plot. Naruto is suddenly portrayed again as the proverbial village idiot, completely out of sync with previous volumes. We are treated to Guy's stinky blue sweat and some shenanigans with Kisame, which are more comedic than serious, and then suddenly we are witnesses to the tragedy of Konan. Tonally it just doesn't gel. But I really like Konan and I enjoyed her, admittedly too few and too short, moments in the spotlight. The story of Nagato, Yahiko and Konan was one of the highlights of the series to this point. The callback to their brighter times with Jiraya was a moving tribute.
Still, as a whole, this volume is very average.

[Aja: The Narcoleptic Ninja · Rating 5 out of 5]

I know she wasn't really around for a long time, but Konan won a place in my heart as one of my favorites and the back story between her, Yahiko, Nagato, and Jiraiya was just so sweet. I love the volumes that offer a little bit of history on the characters and how they got to where they are and what motivates them.

[T.R. Preston · Rating 5 out of 5]

And now we finally come to it, folks. This is the last perfect volume of Naruto. It makes me really sad to say that. It goes REAL downhill after this (Though there are still some amazing moments coming; they are just far and few between from this point). If you've been following my reviews, you'll notice I have given every single volume of this series (Thus far) five stars. I fully stand by that. This manga was a masterpiece for many, many years. Then Kishimoto starts smoking crack or something, I don't know.

I also made a mistake in the last review. I said Kushina was Kishimoto's only good female character. I have sinned. Konan is also fantastic. And her fight with Tobi is among the best in the series.

[Sarah⭐ The Ultimate Book Hoarder · Rating 4 out of 5]

Shark-boi is finally dead THANK GOD

[Blake the Book Eater · Rating 4 out of 5]

A great battle between Konan and Madara as well as the Akatsuki’s first real battle of the war! It’s getting intense!!

[Hafeez · Rating 5 out of 5]

Volume 54: Chapter 505-514
Arc 14: Fourth Shinobi World War - Countdown

- Naruto sensed Kisame presence in the Samehada. They chased Kisame out.
- Kisame faced Might Guy. Might Guy used Hachimon Tonkou to defeat Kisame.
- Kisame is restrained and they were trying to get some intel from him.
- Kisame escaped and used Kuchiyose no Jutsu to summon a group of shark. The shark ended eating him alive.
- Kisame is to weak to fight the Kumogakure and Konohagakure shinobis and make a decision to die in order to keep the intel safe.
- One of his shark managed to escape along with a scroll containing an intel.
- Konan faced Tobi who wants to take Nagato's Rinnegan.
- Tobi revealed that he is the creator of Akatsuki and he also gave Rinnegan to Nagato.
- The fight begins. Tobi lost his right arm as he swallowed the exploding tags from Konan.
- Konan used her ultimate jutsu by splitting the sea. She prepared 600 billion exploding tags to kill Tobi.
- Tobi used Izanagi to escape death. Tobi killed Konan.
- Tobi gets the Rinnegan. He changed his appearance and ready to capture Kyuubi.
- Tobi and Kabuto prepared for the war. Tobi told Kabuto about Zetsu's secret and showed to him the Hashirama's cell that he acquired during the battle between Hashirama.
- They have 100,000 White Zetsu soldiers.
- Kabuto and Edo Tensei Deidara went to capture Kyuubi and Hachibi as they found their hideout, ona giant moving turtle.
- Ohnoki, Akatsuchi and Kurotsuchi went to stop Kabuto.
- Instead of Kyuubi and Hachibi, Kabuto managed to capture Yamato.

[Virgi · Rating 3 out of 5]

3,5⭐

[Odo · Rating 3 out of 5]

2.5/5.0

[Brandon · Rating 3 out of 5]

We're seeing the end of Akatsuki. Tobi goes to fight Konan, Kisame gets his big fight against Gai, and as Akatsuki loses almost all of its members we get a hint of how exactly they're going to fight the coming war. Konan deserved to be a bigger player over this series, she's fantastic and her paper jutsu are really pretty to look at. Gai and Kisame are also a hilarious duo and I've loved how they constantly run into each other. The war hasn't exactly started yet but we seem to be nearing the end of the set-up, with both sides finishing their power-ups (Naruto with the Nine Tails, Tobi with his whatever-it-is) and going through the prerequisite late-game lore dumps to set up the big reveals for later.

[Les Lectures de Loow (Laura) · Rating 5 out of 5]

C'est rare que je parle de la couverture d'un tome de Naruto, mais là, il faut. Elle est tout simplement lunaire. Elle m'a bien fait marrer quand j'ai sorti ce tome de ma bibliothèque.

Sinon, dans ce tome il se passe tout simplement beaucoup trop de choses. Le combat en Gaï et Kisame (un peu annoncé sur le couverture) et la mort de Konan. On a aussi des infos sur Zetsu, sur Kabuto, sur le passé de Kisame. Bref, après un tome 53 assez doux, ici c'est tout l'inverse. Et je pense que c'est pour nous préparer à la suite!

P.S: Naruto est soit disant en mission spéciale sur l'île de Bee (c'est ce qu'on lui a dit pour qu'il ne se pose pas de questions). Et celle-ci consiste à recenser tous les animaux et leur genre respectif. La scène du tatou était tout simplement géniale!!

[Travis · Rating 4 out of 5]

I feel like there is a lot that happens in this volume but then I feel like nothing happened. Guy takes on Kisame, Konan comes face to face with Madara to try and stop him herself. Kabuto locates Naruto and friends. Lastly, the war begins!!!

[DonutKnow · Rating 4 out of 5]

I don’t often have an interest in the science of how characters get their powers, but I think it’s cool that some characters have a level of chakra that they can use for their individual ninja abilities 🤔💪

[Booksinvasion · Rating 4 out of 5]

C'è un riferimento a Jiraiya?
Io piango.
Sempre.

[Insomnolent Reader °ㅠ_ㅠ° · Rating 3 out of 5]

Had some laughs.

[R. L. Peterson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow, this book was packed with several huge events! Gui v Kisame, Konan v Tobi and Kabuto v like everyone with Naruto 🤣

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Kisame 😭😭😭
Yahiko 😭
Conan ��😭
Nagato was an Uzumaki 😳

Plates with Konan, Yahiko and Nagato 😭😭 and Jiraiya 😭
Deidara!))

[K · Rating 3 out of 5]

Uh oh

[Alexana · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 ⭐️

[Tiara · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excelente pelea entre Kisame Hoshigaki y Maito Gai 🔥🔥❤️‍🔥🔥❤️‍🔥

[Lauralee · Rating 3 out of 5]

Yahiko, Konan, Nagato, and Master Jiraiya🥲 their storyline has always been a tear jerker for me BUT this? I was ugly crying.
Also, for the war that is brewing, I am scared...

[Michael Sorbello · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a review of the entire series.

Once upon a time, the spirit of an evil Nine Tailed Fox wreaked havoc on Konohagakure; the Village Hidden in the Leaves, killing hundreds of honorable ninja in the skirmish and leaving many children without homes or parents. The Fourth Hokage (leader of the village) unleashes a forbidden jutsu (magic spell/ninja ability) to seal the spirit of the evil fox into the body of a newborn baby named Naruto at the cost of his own life. He did this in the hopes that the boy could one day learn to master the power of the demonic spirit and use it to protect the village and become a great hero of the people.

Unknown to the citizens of the Leaf, the Nine Tailed Fox was being controlled by an even more powerful adversary, a legendary rogue ninja that plans to wage war against the entire world from the shadows. The identity of the mysterious ninja that attacked the Leaf Village using the Nine Tails died with the Fourth Hokage, and he used what remained of his life to gift Naruto with the power of one day being able to stop this evil ninja and a clan of outlawed S-rank criminals called the Akatsuki from committing mass genocide against the many hidden villages and clans of the world.

Because of the evil spirit sealed inside him, Naruto grew up hated by the other children of the village because they believe him and the Nine Tails to be one and the same. They believe he’s a ticking time bomb waiting to go off, waiting for the perfect moment to kill them all just like the Nine Tails killed their parents and families. Shunned, dehumanized and treated like dirt, Naruto vows to become the greatest hokage the world has ever seen so that he can receive the love and acknowledgement he never got as a child.

On top of the Nine Tails power and the will to never quit, Naruto also possesses the uncanny ability to turn everyone he meets into a potential comrade. He brings out the best in his peers and tries his hardest to make his enemies see the errors of their ways. He disobeys the rules and ignores cultural traditions to try and make changes to the world and break the eternal cycle of war and hatred through his own methods. His determination is infectious to friend and foe alike. He earns himself the respect he deserves by overcoming one impossible obstacle at a time.

Naruto encounters many fascinating and terrifying ninja over the course of his journey to become hokage. Among them are Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto’s best friend and rival who is driven by the vengeful lust to murder his elder brother after he wiped out their own clan in cold blood. Sasuke warms up to Naruto, but his hatred and trauma are dangerous forces that threaten to break his moral code as a ninja and destroy his reputation among his peers.

Kakashi Hatake is a notorious copycat ninja that survived one of the most brutal and devastating wars in history as well as the Nine Tails attack on the Leaf Village. He becomes Naruto and Sasuke’s mentor and teaches them a great number of valuable lessons about surviving in the dangerous world of rogue ninja, bloodthirsty assassins and clans ruled by corruption.

Jiraiya is a perverted yet wise sage who taught the Fourth Hokage everything he knew and he’s regarded as a god among shinobi that’s famous for his heroic actions in the second great ninja war. He takes an interest in Naruto and raises him as a father figure to carry on the legacy of the Fourth Hokage to prepare him for the many dangerous people that want to use his power for their own nefarious purposes.

The Akatsuki is one such group of wicked ninja. Among them are Sasuke’s brother Itachi who murdered his clan and possesses many dangerous techniques involving illusions, psychological torture and elemental manipulation. Sasori who controls poisonous puppets with magical threads, Orochimaru who mastered the forbidden arts of reanimation and quasi-immortality, Deidara who fights from afar using detonating clay and many other deadly foes.

The entire series chronicles Naruto and his fellow ninja comrades growing through countless trials and tragedies. There are hundreds of unique jutsus, clans, and techniques which lead to some very intense, creative and strategic battles between skilled ninja with diverse abilities that don’t always match up evenly. There are clan based abilities such as the Aburame clan’s ability to control insects, the Yamanaka clan’s ability to jump into other people’s minds and control their bodies and the Inuzuka clan’s ability to bond with wolves that learn to mimic their master’s battle skills. Then there’s ocular genetic abilities such as the sharingan which allows the user to create psychological illusions, copy their enemy’s abilities and manipulate elemental energy. The byakugan allows the user to read their enemies vital points and detect their spiritual energy from faraway. The rinnegan grants control over space and gravity and so on.

On top of having countless unique abilities, nearly every character has a tragic backstory that makes them sympathetic and relatable, even the nastiest of the villains have well-explored reasons for following the paths they do and becoming the way they are. One of my favorite aspects of the series is how well it explores the physical, emotional and psychological effects war can have on society and culture as well as the survivors and future generations that are forced to live in them. How it breeds racism and cultural disputes, how it inspires hatred in orphaned children and war veterans robbed of their homes toward foreign nations, as well as how this eventually leads to further death, war, poverty and destruction. Learning to forgive the ones you hate to prevent further conflict and damaging the world for future generations even further is a major theme throughout the story.

Being a massive 700 chapter series, it’s not too surprising that there’s some plot holes and consistency issues. A rule might be stated regarding the requirements and usage of a certain jutsu or ability only for that rule to be repeatedly broken 400 chapters later. Sometimes the characters and rules contradict themselves, sometimes the chronology of certain events and historical facts don’t match up perfectly, the lore and general backstory go through several retcons that change the philosophy and power scaling of the characters and the scope of world-building; the final arc especially drags on and breaks a lot of the logic and rules that the story spent the whole series setting up, etc...

Naruto’s far from perfect, but I remember it very fondly for being one of the first series that introduced me to things like manga and Japanese entertainment in general. It was one of those childhood classics like Dragon Ball, Inuyasha, Yu Yu Hakusho and Rurouni Kenshin. The series grew up with me and I can’t help but feel grateful to it for introducing me to hundreds of other franchises that I’m still a huge fan of to this day and I continue to find many new ones on the regular. Naruto's journey from a clownish, disrespected outcast into a talented, well-loved and admired hero is a memorable one.

[tomás. · Rating 3 out of 5]

My favourite part here was Yahiko, Nagato and Konan's whole backstory in their house with Jiraiya... especially those last panels (pages 128, 129, and the first one in page 130). Loved, loved, loved it. They deserved so much better.

I liked the rest fine.

[Ambia · Rating 4 out of 5]

This volume should have ended at chapter 511: We shall return. We get the end of the beautiful tragedy that is the Amegakure trio after Kisame's end, the Akatsuki as we know it is basically finished, we should have ended it there to give us time to process. Instead, we're back to watching Kabuto's creepy obsessive shenanigans.

Like with most villains, we get Kisame's background and goals right at the end. Can't say I'm sad to see him go but it was a good fight. Good in that I love Gai and any opportunity to see him shine is alright with me. The fact that his moves have an apparently old school name just sits right with me. He's all about youth, but he's got no jutsu, he fights with good ol' fists. A classic.

Kisame was just a soldier, a shinobi. He does what his nation tells him to do even if it seems conflicting. This means killing his teammates with no remorse and killing his mentor for a sword. Maybe because he had the great misfortune of looking like that, Kisame has based entire personality off sharks. Which doesn't go well with Itachi. That look of actual distaste is some of the most emotion we see from Itachu. He wipes this away in favour of his usual serene blankness. Kisame lives in a world of dishonesty, where he kills both enemies and allies, where he didn't really have much of an existence beyond being a tool. Madara offers him plain truth, he takes it. In these scenes, Naruto gets quite serious and dark. Although it's a common theme, the extravagance of the rest of the story distracts you from the basis of this entire story. This is a heavily militaristic world and dark politics drives everything everyone does and has to do.

Given the situation, killing yourself to protect the secrets of your comrades as you had previously killed comrades to protect the secrets of your land, is honourable, but I wouldn't go so far as to say it makes you even a "decent" human being.

The best part of this volume is the ending of the OG Akatsuki. I do not care what Madara has to say about his own involvement, the Akatsuki IS Yahiko, Konan and Nagato. As much as it fits the repeated story of well meaning kids being manipulated by people who are stuck in the past, dragged into their sh*t over and over again, the Akatsuki should be the Ame trio's. They did all the work, it was their dream that powered it in the beginning. That red cloud is theirs! Even after Yahiko's demise, Konan and Nagato were working for themselves and their endings were their choice. I find it odd that the rinnegan was just implanted in Nagato. Although it gives more credence to the fact that a chosen one is made through other people's decisions. Needing Senju and Uchiha chakra seems like a retcon. Why couldn't the rinnegan have arisen in Madara and then arose again 70 years later in Nagato? I would've been willing to believe it. Konan's right, the Akatsuki was theirs, even if Madara was manipulating in the background, they chose their own paths and made their own decisions. Even in, and especially in, their deaths. They all died putting their hopes in another to carry their dreams forward.

It was fitting that in this land that always cried, where the people were always weak and weakened, the rain finally clears up as its final guardian dies and entrusts all their hopes to the final hero. It was also quite cheesy. The rain ending and the sun shining was beautiful, it was the rainbow that brought it over into the realm of too much.  But it was Nagato from the grave apparently so I'm letting it go. The volume cover is hideous, but I loved the story so, whatever. 

Konan fights Madara by filling the sea with paper and parting it like Moses. It's a spectacle of a fight, a last ditch effort from a legacy fighter. Although it did almost work, it was never going to work. For the story at least. It's a shame we never got to see more of Konan's fighting. It's a cool and unique technique. She was an icon, an angel. 

The flashback and those damn flip tiles got me. They got me every time I saw it. They all returned home. Yahiko, Konan, Nagato and Jiraiya are all home. Where they learnt, loved, had fun and dressed up as frogs [why did he have those costumes]. It was paper coloured red in her blood! Of course I cried! And that shrine for Yahika and Nagato was gorgeous. I hope they all can rest there together once it's all done.

Naruto is the only Naruto that makes it in this story. Several other Narutos tried and failed to make the dream happen. He's fighting for everyone's legacy. Chosen one chosen by every other Naruto's loved ones left in the world. 

Naruto's obsession with Sasuke actually pales in comparison to Madara's obsession with Hashirama and Kabuto's obsession with Orochimaru. They've both tried to take the other INTO them. Naruto idolises Sasuke, but Kabuto really wants TO BE Orochimaru and Madara has reproduced/respawned Hashirama after death to become part of himself. It's just so weird and screams of desperation.

Oh yeah, the nine tails chakra being full of life energy is very sad. They lock up this supposed monster when it's actually at its very core, in its very essence, just a bundle of life. But I suppose the sun is also the source of all life and a flaming ball of fire that burns everything.

[Susannah · Rating 4 out of 5]

Not much happened in this story, it was kinda a buffer between epic stuff

[Vicenç Sanz · Rating 3 out of 5]

Otro tomo más, y reconozco que éste me ha costado leermelo.

No tengo claro si el problema ha sido del tomo en sí, por un exceso de diálogos que no llevaban a nada, o simplemente mi condición mental al ponerme con él no era la óptima.

Pero sea lo que sea, el caso es que éste me ha parecido el tomo más flojo de Naruto en mucho tiempo, por no decir hasta el momento. Lo curioso del caso es que pasan cosas, y no es de esos tomos en los que lo único que sucede es un combate que no termina nunca.

Aquí tenemos un poco más de los planes de Madara, un combate entre éste y la chica de los papeles, otro con Gai en primer plano (lo que siempre está bien) y al Kage anciano en acción. Un buen puñado de frentes con acción que no acaban de enganchar.

Hay cosas de Naruto que ya cansan (como el aprendiz de Orochimaru) y que parecen estar añadidas a la trama por aquello de seguir alargando lo inevitable. Es algo que se nota desde hace tiempo, pero en el tomo que nos ocupa se me ha hecho especialmente sangrante.

En fin, supongo que éste sí que debe marcar la caída de calidad de la obra. Veremos los siguientes.

[Nekkina93/72 · Rating 5 out of 5]

“Non ce l’ha fatta.
Sakura una volta trovatasi davanti a Sasuke ha vacillato.
È difficile, impensabile uccidere la persona che si ama.
Non quando nel profondo del proprio cuore si crede che sia ancora buona.
Non quando nel profondo del proprio cuore si comprendono certe sue scelte, le sue ragioni.
Sasuke sembra sempre di più sprofondato nel suo dolore e odio, a tal punto che stava per attaccare Sakura.
Ma Naruto arrivando in tempo l’ha fermato e contro il proprio volere e cuore, gli ha dichiarato guerra.
Se Sasuke non si fermerà, sarà costretto a battersi contro di lui con la consapevolezza che potrebbero morire entrambi.
Un incontro particolare e dilaniante.
Un incontro che aprirà diversi scenari.
.
Nel frattempo Kakashi-Sensei, Sakura e Naruto sono tornati al villaggio, portando con se Karin per interrogarla.
Naruto verrà richiamato nel villaggio dei Rospi per avere la chiave del suo sigillo.
È arrivato il momento di imparare a controllare la volpe a nove code.
La grande quarta guerra ninja è dietro l’angolo.
Non c’è più tempo per pensare e ripensare.
È tempo di agire.
Riuscirà Naruto a controllare la volpe a nove code?
Riuscirà a comprendere il suo pieno potere?
Nelle ombre un nuovo nemico si sta muovendo: Kabuto.
Cosa vuole veramente?
Quali sono le sue abilità?
.
Come sempre le tavole sono ricche di azione e con disegni meravigliosi.
Voto: 5/5″.

[Giovanna Francesetti · Rating 3 out of 5]

La pelea entre Gai y Kisame estuvo muy buena. Me gusta que se haya mostrado un poco del pasado de Kisame ya que no volveremos a verlo porque se suicidó. Quizás fue un poco corta, pero ambos pudieron lucirse.

Tobi fue a enfrentarse a Konan y me tenía nerviosa la situación porque creí que Konan no podría lucirse ya que Kishimoto suele dejar a las mujeres de lado en las peleas. A pesar de que fue demasiado corta y hubo más flashbacks que acción, creo que ella pudo mostrar que es una mujer fuerte y su jutsu es único. Ojalá hubiera durado más.

Naruto sigue en la isla pensando que está haciendo una misión super importante y Yamato fue secuestrado por Kabuto, al parecer por acá seguiría el desarrollo de la trama así que espero que se ponga interesante.

[kitty · Rating 5 out of 5]

La pelea de Konan contra Madara fue genial, pero la sentí demasiado corta (aunque supongo que debió ser así por el propósito de este tipo, pero en fin) y me hubiera gustado ver más a ella en acción. Fue un personaje con tanto potencial que al igual que otros que Kishimoto ha escrito, terminó por no desarrollarlos completamente, aún así, estuvo bien.
El regreso de Konan a casa, realmente fue emotivo y me hizo llorar un montón. Amé su arco por completo y este cierre me ha dejado satisfecha y con mil heridas en el corazón.
Pese a que ya no esté, ella siempre seguirá siendo el pilar del puente en el que creían Yahiko y Nagato que traería la paz, ahora Naruto seguirá ese sueño.