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Naruto [ナルト] #53
NARUTO -ナルト- 53 巻ノ五十三
九尾の力を手に入れるため、ナルトは雲隠れの里にある孤島での修業を開始する。ビーの力を借り封印を解放するが、悪意に満ちた九尾の意志にナルトは取り込まれてしまう。その意識の中で、思わぬ出会いが！！
192 pages, コミック
First published November 4, 2010
144 people are currently reading
1570 people want to read
About the author
Masashi Kishimoto
1,201 books3,966 followersMasashi 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.
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.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 248 reviews
August 22, 2015
This volume was everything
August 29, 2023
this one was soooooooo emotional!
& sweet
I'm in tears!
these parts... always... tears (I first watched the anime, same feelings)
chapter 502 💖💖💖💔💔💔
Minato Minato Minato, sweet sweet bby! I was so thirsty to see his stories, & this story weaving, this world building & making the characters backstories & developments, so amazing & aweinspiring. I adored the weaving of the story, every time I think, okay I get it, something else revealed & left me open-mouthed. a world this big & this deep. I love it! my heart! the paiiiin! the tears!
just a tiny review, emotionally I had to write one!
& sweet
I'm in tears!
these parts... always... tears (I first watched the anime, same feelings)
chapter 502 💖💖💖💔💔💔
Minato Minato Minato, sweet sweet bby! I was so thirsty to see his stories, & this story weaving, this world building & making the characters backstories & developments, so amazing & aweinspiring. I adored the weaving of the story, every time I think, okay I get it, something else revealed & left me open-mouthed. a world this big & this deep. I love it! my heart! the paiiiin! the tears!
just a tiny review, emotionally I had to write one!
April 11, 2023
3,5/5
Regarding the three prohibitions of the shinobi, Kushina should've been more concerned about her son falling for toxic male Uchihas than random girls. No, seriously.
I don't have much to say about Naruto meeting Kushina. It was as amazing and emotional as it was in the anime, and that should tell us a lot about Kishimoto's skills as a writer (and his wife's skills as an advisor), since manga panels don't have any of the additional elements of the anime adaptation (the voice acting, renditions, and of course, Yasuharu Takanashi's magnificent soundtrack). Kushina herself was an amazing character, from her sudden and quite epic entrance, to her bittersweet departure. Can we also talk about how OP her jutsu is? We've seen Nagato, and of course, Naruto in action, but she's the very first Uzumaki that actually showed us what her clan is truly capable of (albeit rather briefly)-no wonder they were wiped out, they must've been monsters. But...
There's almost always a 'but' with Kishimoto's volumes. While Kushina's final words for Naruto and Minato's 'ditto' (he had one job, and he couldn't even do the bare minimum) were emotional and quite heavy, their deaths were actually pointless, and kinda dumb. Why? Because -spoilers ahead- they could've simply sealed Nine Tails back inside Kushina. During the incoming War Arc, they do that with Naruto and it's all fine. Just like that.
There's a number of ways to explain why neither Kushina nor Minato thought about just doing that, the most obvious one being the fact that their deaths and Naruto's status as a Jinchuriki are two already established events that no retcon to the plot could change. It's just a flashback, but one that is heavily driven by plot. A plot that is dumb due to Minato's reasons to die for his son. Kushina's intention was to take down Nine Tails with her, so she was probably going to re-seal him inside her... which would have had resulted in her not dying. Again, a big issue when we're 53 volumes in a story about her orphaned son. So how did Kishimoto fix that? By having Minato utter some nationalist nonsense and use a jutsu that would kill him, and therefore prevent his wife from literally saving herself.
Mind-blowing.
Was it because of lack of inspiration? Lazy writing? Bad writing? All of the above? Either way, this contrived way of explaining how Nine Tails was sealed inside Naruto and how his parents died kind of ruined this volume for me.
Regarding the three prohibitions of the shinobi, Kushina should've been more concerned about her son falling for toxic male Uchihas than random girls. No, seriously.
I don't have much to say about Naruto meeting Kushina. It was as amazing and emotional as it was in the anime, and that should tell us a lot about Kishimoto's skills as a writer (and his wife's skills as an advisor), since manga panels don't have any of the additional elements of the anime adaptation (the voice acting, renditions, and of course, Yasuharu Takanashi's magnificent soundtrack). Kushina herself was an amazing character, from her sudden and quite epic entrance, to her bittersweet departure. Can we also talk about how OP her jutsu is? We've seen Nagato, and of course, Naruto in action, but she's the very first Uzumaki that actually showed us what her clan is truly capable of (albeit rather briefly)-no wonder they were wiped out, they must've been monsters. But...
There's almost always a 'but' with Kishimoto's volumes. While Kushina's final words for Naruto and Minato's 'ditto' (he had one job, and he couldn't even do the bare minimum) were emotional and quite heavy, their deaths were actually pointless, and kinda dumb. Why? Because -spoilers ahead- they could've simply sealed Nine Tails back inside Kushina. During the incoming War Arc, they do that with Naruto and it's all fine. Just like that.
There's a number of ways to explain why neither Kushina nor Minato thought about just doing that, the most obvious one being the fact that their deaths and Naruto's status as a Jinchuriki are two already established events that no retcon to the plot could change. It's just a flashback, but one that is heavily driven by plot. A plot that is dumb due to Minato's reasons to die for his son. Kushina's intention was to take down Nine Tails with her, so she was probably going to re-seal him inside her... which would have had resulted in her not dying. Again, a big issue when we're 53 volumes in a story about her orphaned son. So how did Kishimoto fix that? By having Minato utter some nationalist nonsense and use a jutsu that would kill him, and therefore prevent his wife from literally saving herself.
Mind-blowing.
Was it because of lack of inspiration? Lazy writing? Bad writing? All of the above? Either way, this contrived way of explaining how Nine Tails was sealed inside Naruto and how his parents died kind of ruined this volume for me.
February 10, 2012
Few people do training story arcs like Masashi Kishimoto. Sure, for the longest time it seemed like Yoshihiro Togashi of Yu Yu Hakusho fame was the shonen manga-ka most (in)famous for his training arcs, which were usually very long and very multi-layered, but recently Kishimoto has shown us what he can really do with some age-old genre tropes, and what comes out of all of this is volume fifty-three of Naruto, in which Naruto fights himself and then fights inside himself, only to find some unexpected assistance from a character I did not expect to see return any time soon. This volume is not so much the birth of Naruto – though it is that too – as much as the rebirth of Naruto, in which he embraces who he truly is and uses it to his own advantage in some incredible character growth that is much needed after what seemed like volumes of the young man struggling with his own self-identity. In short, if you are a fan of the series' title orange-clad character, this is a volume of Naruto to marvel and enjoy and possible get a bit teary over.
You can read the rest of my lengthy (spoiler-filled!) review over at Nagareboshi Reviews!
You can read the rest of my lengthy (spoiler-filled!) review over at Nagareboshi Reviews!
January 18, 2022
I DONT THINK I CAN EVER MOVE ON FROM THE PAIN THIS ENTIRE VOLUME CAUSED ME!
when kushina appeared . That's when i lost it OH MY GOD I STILL CANT STOP CRYING THIS IS SO UNFAIR THEY SHOULDVE HAD MORE TIME TOGETHER WITH MINATO THEY SHOULD'VE HAD A MOMENT WITH THE THREE OF THEM THIS IS SO PAINFUL THE ENTIRE VOLUME CAUSED ME SO MUCH BITTERSWEET FEELINGS!
I LOVE THEM SO MUCH MINATO KUSHINA NARUTO YOU ARE SO PRECIOUS TO ME WORDS CANT EXPRESS HOE MUCH I TREASURE THID VOLUME
when kushina appeared . That's when i lost it OH MY GOD I STILL CANT STOP CRYING THIS IS SO UNFAIR THEY SHOULDVE HAD MORE TIME TOGETHER WITH MINATO THEY SHOULD'VE HAD A MOMENT WITH THE THREE OF THEM THIS IS SO PAINFUL THE ENTIRE VOLUME CAUSED ME SO MUCH BITTERSWEET FEELINGS!
I LOVE THEM SO MUCH MINATO KUSHINA NARUTO YOU ARE SO PRECIOUS TO ME WORDS CANT EXPRESS HOE MUCH I TREASURE THID VOLUME
March 29, 2012
Isn't it sad when the flashback volumes are more interesting than the main storyline? I got just enough to be intrigued and I'll never be satisfied. I want to know more about Hashirama Mito! I want to see Kushina's friendship with Mikoto! I want to flash forward to the future and see if Naruto and Sasuke get married because Kishimoto is pulling out every shoujo destiny marker I know of! (Okay that last one wasn't about backstory, sorry. Kishimoto's just so blatant, it's slid into actively irritating to me. Either own it or shush bro)
Seriously though, I hope there's a Mito flashback because she looks like a total badass. The first person to ever seal away Nine Tails! Also no lie, I would totally read a manga focused on Kushina instead of Naruto. Your mom seems really cool Naruto! She doesn't look like she was ever caught up in an apotheosis storyline or endlessly going after a rival who someone really should have killed by now! Kushina Volume 1 Kishimoto, I'll buy it. 4 stars
Seriously though, I hope there's a Mito flashback because she looks like a total badass. The first person to ever seal away Nine Tails! Also no lie, I would totally read a manga focused on Kushina instead of Naruto. Your mom seems really cool Naruto! She doesn't look like she was ever caught up in an apotheosis storyline or endlessly going after a rival who someone really should have killed by now! Kushina Volume 1 Kishimoto, I'll buy it. 4 stars
October 21, 2022
Kushina is Kishimoto's best female character. Every other time Kishi tries to write a female character, it's bloody abysmal. But Kushina is the gold standard. He really pulled it off with this volume. She is really something special. The entire flashback sequence is brilliant stuff.
September 8, 2025
I loved the waterfall of truth sequence. We all have a bit of negativity hidden in our hearts, be it anger, resentment, hatred, ego, etc. This volume taught me that accepting and acknowledging that ugly part is important to eradicate it.
Full manga review at https://readwithanu.com/2015/12/19/na...
Full manga review at https://readwithanu.com/2015/12/19/na...
January 1, 2016
4.5 I can't just rate this a 5 because this series has its flaws as does this volume. But can we all just appreciate how touching and amazing this volume was? Poor Naruto...
May 12, 2021
My tears are making a river
January 12, 2022
I love the flashback SO MUCH
February 10, 2024
This volume was so emotional that I literally cried.
August 22, 2015
Having been inspired by the forgiveness Bee showed Motoi, Naruto is able to conquer his evil side by acceptance (or something like that). Inside the waterfall, Bee tells Naruto that he will have to forcibly take the Nine Tails' chakra and make it his own. To do this, Naruto will have to undo the seal.
Bee holds the Nine Tails down and Naruto pulls on his chakra, but he almost loses himself to the Nine Tails' hatred until his mother appears. Kushina tells Naruto how she meet Minato when she first moved from another village. I loved how she described Minato as "girly." With help from his mom and a new sense of happiness, Naruto is able to take the chakra and transform.
Once the Nine Tails is locked back up, Kushina tells Naruto that she was the last jinchuriki before him. She was of the Uzumaki clan from the land of eddies, which knew powerful sealing jutsu before they were wiped out in the ninja wars. She had super strong chakra so she was sent to Konoha to take over the Nine Tails from the first hokage's wife (also from the land of eddies).
During childbirth the seal becomes loose, so they had Kushina give birth away from the village. Once Naruto is born, Madara attacks and kidnaps Kushina. He releases the seal for her and the Nine Tails, under his control, starts attacking the village. Minato rescues Kushina (but she's going to die anyway without the Tails). Minato battles Madara and injures him. He teleports the Nine Tails away for the village. Kushina offers to accept the Tails again and take it with her into death. Minato refuses, saying he'd rather bind half of the Tails' chakra inside Naruto and put the rest in the reaper death seal (which will kill him). I didn't understand his decision. It made no sense whatsoever and pissed me off! One parent is better than none! Why did Minato kill himself so Kushina could spend some time with Naruto later in this vision??!!! He needed to think of what was best for Naruto!!
Killing yourself and leaving your child an emotionally damaged orphan with a community who hates him so your dead wife can spend half an hour with him in a vision seems like a pretty stupid thing to do. I think Kishimoto was having trouble figuring out ways that resulted in both parents' deaths, so he just had Minato practically commit suicide! It ruined Minato's badassness and this volume in my eyes.
So Minato binds the Nine Tails, who lunges out at Naruto, but his parents shove their dying bodies between him and the Tails. They give their baby parting words (which were sweet) and die. In the present, Kushina thanks Naruto for being their kid and disappears.
There was WAY too much cheese in this volume. Usually, there can be a lot of cheesiness and sentimentality and its ok (like the next volume with the frog flip cards), but this was way overblown. This was probably the first time I got angry with one of these. The part about Minato knowingly choosing outcomes that would lead to his death for the sake of killing him off seemed like lazy writing. Kishimoto said in the author's note that he consulted his wife for this volume, I hope she doesn't help again. Wow, I sound mean.
Bee holds the Nine Tails down and Naruto pulls on his chakra, but he almost loses himself to the Nine Tails' hatred until his mother appears. Kushina tells Naruto how she meet Minato when she first moved from another village. I loved how she described Minato as "girly." With help from his mom and a new sense of happiness, Naruto is able to take the chakra and transform.
Once the Nine Tails is locked back up, Kushina tells Naruto that she was the last jinchuriki before him. She was of the Uzumaki clan from the land of eddies, which knew powerful sealing jutsu before they were wiped out in the ninja wars. She had super strong chakra so she was sent to Konoha to take over the Nine Tails from the first hokage's wife (also from the land of eddies).
During childbirth the seal becomes loose, so they had Kushina give birth away from the village. Once Naruto is born, Madara attacks and kidnaps Kushina. He releases the seal for her and the Nine Tails, under his control, starts attacking the village. Minato rescues Kushina (but she's going to die anyway without the Tails). Minato battles Madara and injures him. He teleports the Nine Tails away for the village. Kushina offers to accept the Tails again and take it with her into death. Minato refuses, saying he'd rather bind half of the Tails' chakra inside Naruto and put the rest in the reaper death seal (which will kill him). I didn't understand his decision. It made no sense whatsoever and pissed me off! One parent is better than none! Why did Minato kill himself so Kushina could spend some time with Naruto later in this vision??!!! He needed to think of what was best for Naruto!!
Killing yourself and leaving your child an emotionally damaged orphan with a community who hates him so your dead wife can spend half an hour with him in a vision seems like a pretty stupid thing to do. I think Kishimoto was having trouble figuring out ways that resulted in both parents' deaths, so he just had Minato practically commit suicide! It ruined Minato's badassness and this volume in my eyes.
So Minato binds the Nine Tails, who lunges out at Naruto, but his parents shove their dying bodies between him and the Tails. They give their baby parting words (which were sweet) and die. In the present, Kushina thanks Naruto for being their kid and disappears.
There was WAY too much cheese in this volume. Usually, there can be a lot of cheesiness and sentimentality and its ok (like the next volume with the frog flip cards), but this was way overblown. This was probably the first time I got angry with one of these. The part about Minato knowingly choosing outcomes that would lead to his death for the sake of killing him off seemed like lazy writing. Kishimoto said in the author's note that he consulted his wife for this volume, I hope she doesn't help again. Wow, I sound mean.
October 2, 2022
10/10 stars
That's a payoff that's been a long time coming. Call me sentimental, but I'm lapping it up and asking for more. I loved this. I've been waiting for this story for so many volumes, and Kishimoto doesn't disappoint. Do the choices depicted here make sense, in their entirety? No, but who cares? They do make sense emotionally, logic be damned ;)
I thoroughly adored this backstory of Naruto and his parents. It was just so right, without a single false note, filling in the gaps and providing the necessary motivation and growth. Kishimoto shows how far he has come in terms of character development and storytelling. These pages were among the most emotional of the entire manga, and the arc leading to the moment of truth in front of Ninetales was perfection. It's all Greek tragedy, life and death and fate, dramatic choices and undying love, and I'm all for it!
That's a payoff that's been a long time coming. Call me sentimental, but I'm lapping it up and asking for more. I loved this. I've been waiting for this story for so many volumes, and Kishimoto doesn't disappoint. Do the choices depicted here make sense, in their entirety? No, but who cares? They do make sense emotionally, logic be damned ;)
I thoroughly adored this backstory of Naruto and his parents. It was just so right, without a single false note, filling in the gaps and providing the necessary motivation and growth. Kishimoto shows how far he has come in terms of character development and storytelling. These pages were among the most emotional of the entire manga, and the arc leading to the moment of truth in front of Ninetales was perfection. It's all Greek tragedy, life and death and fate, dramatic choices and undying love, and I'm all for it!
June 28, 2021
"𝙀𝙫𝙚𝙧𝙮𝙤𝙣𝙚 𝙞𝙨 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙨𝙤𝙢𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙞𝙣𝙜𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙣𝙤𝙩 𝙨𝙤 𝙜𝙤𝙤𝙙 𝙖𝙩 𝙤𝙩𝙝𝙚𝙧𝙨."
Kushina's reunion with Naruto was so touching that it brought me to tears. I bawled like a baby at the end while she was saying goodbye. I live for these bitter-sweet moments, they always pierce me deeply to my core. The backstory from 16 years ago filled the gaps like a glove. It was well planned and flawlessly executed. Now that Naruto has control over Nine Tails, his look has changed drastically. It really suits him.
Kushina's reunion with Naruto was so touching that it brought me to tears. I bawled like a baby at the end while she was saying goodbye. I live for these bitter-sweet moments, they always pierce me deeply to my core. The backstory from 16 years ago filled the gaps like a glove. It was well planned and flawlessly executed. Now that Naruto has control over Nine Tails, his look has changed drastically. It really suits him.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 26, 2017
We finally get to learn about what happened 16 years ago to Naruto when he was born and let me tell you it is a tearjerker (well to me it is). But it also shows that no matter where your loved ones are they will always still love you no matter what!!! This series man is so good!!!!
February 18, 2020
This is my favorite volume out of the whole manga, it's actually one of the few volumes I own a printed copy of.
I knew what would happen, I read it many times but I still cried like the first time ❤️
I knew what would happen, I read it many times but I still cried like the first time ❤️
June 23, 2022
Probably the most emotional volume in the series. We learn what really happened all those years ago when Nine Tails emerged and we learn more about Naruto’s parents. Absolutely loved this. Made me cry. Wow.
June 22, 2018
I'm crying. This part is the most emotional part in this series. What a beautiful family.
October 10, 2020
3.5/5.0
December 7, 2022
You know it's going to be an emotional one just from the cover. The birth of Naruto. It really delivers with the emotional impact.
Naruto is going through another power up where he's acquiring some of the Kyuubi's chakra. This requires accepting the darkest parts of himself so he can't be manipulated and then physically pulling the chakra from the nine-tails. Naruto succeeds in defeating his true dark-self by accepting himself and moving on. We all know self-love is essential for growth.
And then he gets the biggest power up we've all been waiting for. The power bestowed from a mother's love. Friendship has always been the greatest strength a child hero can have. Of course these child heroes are usually orphans. So to magically acquire the greatest power of all, that ever elusive unconditional parental love, Naruto's really moved beyond the realm of what's possible for your favourite heroes.
Hearing someone finally tell Naruto that he is loved was so satisfying. If you're a crier, this volume gets you several times. The names of the chapters are quite sweet too. "My Ma's red hair" congrats to Kishimoto's wife for her input. I'm sure much of the heart in this novel comes from her influence.
Kushina and Minato's love story has always been my favourite in Naruto. It's one of the only truly complete ones. She thought he was girly and undependable, but he came for her when she needed it. Following that red string of fate. Her hair. It was cute and simple. Perfect. The love story continues and they end up having a child with Kushina's face and Minato's colouring.
I don't know if Kishimoto gave Naruto's parents their signature colours in order to write this line, or it helpfully came about that way, but I adore "if you put the Yellow flash of Konoha together with the Red hot habanero. You get Konoha's Orange Hokage!!"
The look of unadulterated joy on Naruto's face throughout this volume, his little blush, is enough to make this volume great. He needed this.
After all the pleasantries, Kushina has to tell Naruto what's going on. So we get the very beginning of the Tale of Uzumaki Naruto and it's really quite sad. The second he's born he's in danger. Blood and war are a constant companion from birth. Then a masked man snatches him before his parents even get to hold him. This guy, who in another life would have been like a big brother to him, attempts to stab him and blow him up. How far you have fallen [redacted] to try to blow up a child.
The first time Kushina gets to hold her baby, she's already dying, having had the nine-tails extracted from her. It's the last time.
That chapter 500 of Naruto is called "The birth of Naruto" is fitting, 500 chapters in and we should get to see the very beginning of our hero in the series named for him.
Kishimoto has also definitely improved his art in drawing babies. The earlier volumes where we saw a baby Naruto, he was looking a bit renaissance, a bit odd. He looks more baby-like here, so cute. Innocent and unknowing of the fate that is about to befall him because of other's terrible decisions.
Minato goes off to fight the masked guy and he's just so cool. Standing in your own statue! His use of the sealing jutsu and flying raijin is a wonderful spectacle. Especially the timing of the iconic switch with his kunai and getting the mask guy in the back. He manages to free the kyuubi and chase away the masked guy for now. But things get decidedly worse. Minato decides he needs to seal the Kyuubi into his newborn son and so the Kyuubi attacks the child.
The seal used to imprison the Kyuubi in Kushina is visually more heinous than the one used to seal him in Naruto. He's crucified against a glowing giant orb. It looks torturous. No wonder he's ready to kill their kid.
Minato and Kushina impaled upon the Kyuubi's claw is one of the greatest images from Naruto. Both their bodies just moved on their own because they're that child's mother/father and it's their duty. It's sad and it's beautiful and it will always stay with you.
Now, for why Minato decided to sacrifice himself and his wife to seal the Kyuubi in Naruto. "If I were allowed just one regret... I wish I could have seen Naruro grow up." Another trigger for the tears. Kushina gives this beautiful dedication to Minato for the love and life they have shared, ready to end her life and save the village from this current calamity, but Minato takes a different approach to the problem. She shines as his mother and we all know they would have been so wondrously happy together.
Let's forget for now what I know is possible later in the story. What we hear in the scene is: preserve your chakra for a short future reunion (ok, at least she gets to see him when he's grown), seal half with reaper death seal to depower the Kyuubi somewhat for good (ok, Kushina's plan would have had him popping up later in full glory), patriotism/shinobi duty (definitely Kishimoto's own ideals and a common theme in the story about Shinobi being tools, political strategy (ok, yeah without a jinchuriki they would be in an even worse position right after a war and an attack) and then that damn prophecy again.
This prophecy haunts Naruto. Because of it, his father has decided to leave him alone in the world to face the greatest burden of all, saving the whole damn world. Obviously, he was correct, and he didn't want to put Naruto through the pain, but there were ways to be with him through it. No point complaining really at this point, as its his past that shapes who the heros is, so for the story it all had to happen. He couldn't put all of it in the baby, so he had to put some in himself which would have lead to his death anyway.
Then there's the whole "forsaking your country is like forsaking a child... how hard it is not having a land to call home." Of course the leader of the village would view things this way, as a leader should, but your own child? Shinobi are meant to be tools who die for their land, you really want this fir your child? I know, I know, it's hard for him to do this and he believes Naruto will succeed, that he won't die. Because they are his parents, so they believe in him. As they should. It's quite complicated for me as a reader as it is for them honestly.
Naruto claims that land as home alright, and he'll protect it. But you know jinchuuriki are not treated like they belong. That's why neither of you wanted that for him. Sadly, very sadly, I can't help thinking of the other baby we see in this volume. Sasuke's brother killed his family for their land, but he kept his brother alive, even accepting the chance of his brother turning on that land (although he placed all his hopes on Naruto saving Sasuke from that) because he loved Sasuke more than the village. Naruto deserves the whole world and should be loved so much so that Minato would sacrifice the village and world for him.
Of course my apprehension isn't completely justified, I'm just exaggerating because he does say that finally it's for both Kushina and Naruto that she will see him later. That she gets one more moment with him when she wouldn't if they went with her plan. Her plan would probably still mean Naruto has to become jinchuriki later when the kyuubi pops up again anyway. The eight signed seal ensures Naruto has the power he needs to save the world, and he gets a chance to meet his parents so he knows he was loved, truly and deeply. Gives him that boost on his journey.
There is no doubt whatsoever that they love him. They die for him in spectacular fashion. It's their sacred duty as parents of a hero. The reasons and the plan and everything may be a bit dodgy, probably a writing flaw as is the later revelation about the whole jinchuuriki death thing, but he truly thought this was best. He's also very likeable, just like his son.
"Kushina you're the one... who made me the fourth Hokage! Who made me YOUR MAN! And made me this child's father." There's a lot of Japanese gender ideals in this novel, but I really loved this declaration of love.
Naruto doesn't blame them, of course he doesn't, that's who he is. He now knows unequivocally that he was is loved. The journey continues.
That final panel, Naruto's mother disappearing from his arms. The tears in his eyes. Such a beautiful ending.
Naruto is going through another power up where he's acquiring some of the Kyuubi's chakra. This requires accepting the darkest parts of himself so he can't be manipulated and then physically pulling the chakra from the nine-tails. Naruto succeeds in defeating his true dark-self by accepting himself and moving on. We all know self-love is essential for growth.
And then he gets the biggest power up we've all been waiting for. The power bestowed from a mother's love. Friendship has always been the greatest strength a child hero can have. Of course these child heroes are usually orphans. So to magically acquire the greatest power of all, that ever elusive unconditional parental love, Naruto's really moved beyond the realm of what's possible for your favourite heroes.
Hearing someone finally tell Naruto that he is loved was so satisfying. If you're a crier, this volume gets you several times. The names of the chapters are quite sweet too. "My Ma's red hair" congrats to Kishimoto's wife for her input. I'm sure much of the heart in this novel comes from her influence.
Kushina and Minato's love story has always been my favourite in Naruto. It's one of the only truly complete ones. She thought he was girly and undependable, but he came for her when she needed it. Following that red string of fate. Her hair. It was cute and simple. Perfect. The love story continues and they end up having a child with Kushina's face and Minato's colouring.
I don't know if Kishimoto gave Naruto's parents their signature colours in order to write this line, or it helpfully came about that way, but I adore "if you put the Yellow flash of Konoha together with the Red hot habanero. You get Konoha's Orange Hokage!!"
The look of unadulterated joy on Naruto's face throughout this volume, his little blush, is enough to make this volume great. He needed this.
After all the pleasantries, Kushina has to tell Naruto what's going on. So we get the very beginning of the Tale of Uzumaki Naruto and it's really quite sad. The second he's born he's in danger. Blood and war are a constant companion from birth. Then a masked man snatches him before his parents even get to hold him. This guy, who in another life would have been like a big brother to him, attempts to stab him and blow him up. How far you have fallen [redacted] to try to blow up a child.
The first time Kushina gets to hold her baby, she's already dying, having had the nine-tails extracted from her. It's the last time.
That chapter 500 of Naruto is called "The birth of Naruto" is fitting, 500 chapters in and we should get to see the very beginning of our hero in the series named for him.
Kishimoto has also definitely improved his art in drawing babies. The earlier volumes where we saw a baby Naruto, he was looking a bit renaissance, a bit odd. He looks more baby-like here, so cute. Innocent and unknowing of the fate that is about to befall him because of other's terrible decisions.
Minato goes off to fight the masked guy and he's just so cool. Standing in your own statue! His use of the sealing jutsu and flying raijin is a wonderful spectacle. Especially the timing of the iconic switch with his kunai and getting the mask guy in the back. He manages to free the kyuubi and chase away the masked guy for now. But things get decidedly worse. Minato decides he needs to seal the Kyuubi into his newborn son and so the Kyuubi attacks the child.
The seal used to imprison the Kyuubi in Kushina is visually more heinous than the one used to seal him in Naruto. He's crucified against a glowing giant orb. It looks torturous. No wonder he's ready to kill their kid.
Minato and Kushina impaled upon the Kyuubi's claw is one of the greatest images from Naruto. Both their bodies just moved on their own because they're that child's mother/father and it's their duty. It's sad and it's beautiful and it will always stay with you.
Now, for why Minato decided to sacrifice himself and his wife to seal the Kyuubi in Naruto. "If I were allowed just one regret... I wish I could have seen Naruro grow up." Another trigger for the tears. Kushina gives this beautiful dedication to Minato for the love and life they have shared, ready to end her life and save the village from this current calamity, but Minato takes a different approach to the problem. She shines as his mother and we all know they would have been so wondrously happy together.
Let's forget for now what I know is possible later in the story. What we hear in the scene is: preserve your chakra for a short future reunion (ok, at least she gets to see him when he's grown), seal half with reaper death seal to depower the Kyuubi somewhat for good (ok, Kushina's plan would have had him popping up later in full glory), patriotism/shinobi duty (definitely Kishimoto's own ideals and a common theme in the story about Shinobi being tools, political strategy (ok, yeah without a jinchuriki they would be in an even worse position right after a war and an attack) and then that damn prophecy again.
This prophecy haunts Naruto. Because of it, his father has decided to leave him alone in the world to face the greatest burden of all, saving the whole damn world. Obviously, he was correct, and he didn't want to put Naruto through the pain, but there were ways to be with him through it. No point complaining really at this point, as its his past that shapes who the heros is, so for the story it all had to happen. He couldn't put all of it in the baby, so he had to put some in himself which would have lead to his death anyway.
Then there's the whole "forsaking your country is like forsaking a child... how hard it is not having a land to call home." Of course the leader of the village would view things this way, as a leader should, but your own child? Shinobi are meant to be tools who die for their land, you really want this fir your child? I know, I know, it's hard for him to do this and he believes Naruto will succeed, that he won't die. Because they are his parents, so they believe in him. As they should. It's quite complicated for me as a reader as it is for them honestly.
Naruto claims that land as home alright, and he'll protect it. But you know jinchuuriki are not treated like they belong. That's why neither of you wanted that for him. Sadly, very sadly, I can't help thinking of the other baby we see in this volume. Sasuke's brother killed his family for their land, but he kept his brother alive, even accepting the chance of his brother turning on that land (although he placed all his hopes on Naruto saving Sasuke from that) because he loved Sasuke more than the village.
Of course my apprehension isn't completely justified, I'm just exaggerating because he does say that finally it's for both Kushina and Naruto that she will see him later. That she gets one more moment with him when she wouldn't if they went with her plan. Her plan would probably still mean Naruto has to become jinchuriki later when the kyuubi pops up again anyway. The eight signed seal ensures Naruto has the power he needs to save the world, and he gets a chance to meet his parents so he knows he was loved, truly and deeply. Gives him that boost on his journey.
There is no doubt whatsoever that they love him. They die for him in spectacular fashion. It's their sacred duty as parents of a hero. The reasons and the plan and everything may be a bit dodgy, probably a writing flaw as is the later revelation about the whole jinchuuriki death thing, but he truly thought this was best. He's also very likeable, just like his son.
"Kushina you're the one... who made me the fourth Hokage! Who made me YOUR MAN! And made me this child's father." There's a lot of Japanese gender ideals in this novel, but I really loved this declaration of love.
Naruto doesn't blame them, of course he doesn't, that's who he is. He now knows unequivocally that he
That final panel, Naruto's mother disappearing from his arms. The tears in his eyes. Such a beautiful ending.
November 25, 2020
The best volume of the series maybe, its such an emotional gut punch of a rollercoaster ride. We have Naruto finally confronting the Kyuubi and trying to bind it but it seems its becoming tough and he can't do it but then his mother KUSHINA appears in that realm and we finally learn the birth story of Uzumaki Naruto from how his parents met, how they were, and how Kushina was the former Jinchuuriki and how was Naruto birthed and how in that moment Uchicha Madara attacked and unsealed the Kyuubi and it destroyed everything it had in its path and what sacrifices it took to reseal this guy back and the sacrifices and promises that Naruto parents made to him, it hits like a ton of bricks at once, the emotions swirl reading the panel but in the last page Naruto says to his mother how he feels proud to be their son and that they had filled in him love before sealing Kurama inside him and when Kushina cries with it, its an emotional gut punch again and her slowly fading away, it was just too good!!!! Masashi Kishimoto knows how to make you cry every damn time.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 12, 2015
So this entire sequence was awesome. Not only do we have an epic battle with himself, but Naruto is taking on his demon as a one-on-one battle... sort of.
I always wondered what his mother was like, and even more so, I wanted to know about the full circumstances of the demon fox's sealing and Naruto's parent's deaths. So much pathos. I loved it.
I always wondered what his mother was like, and even more so, I wanted to know about the full circumstances of the demon fox's sealing and Naruto's parent's deaths. So much pathos. I loved it.
August 6, 2014
I automatically give 5 stars to every volume of Naruto (I know, I know) because I'm just that attached to the series, but this volume really freaking deserved it. Naruto's parent's backstory is so heartwarming and it had me crying all over again.
March 6, 2021
Este es mi volumen favorito de toda la serie, me hizo llorar demasiado, que hermosa familia ojalá hubieran vivido. Me encanto la historia sobre como se enamoraron Minato y Kushina me pareció tan bonita.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 15, 2016
I love it and I love Minato and Kushina!! Naruto is awesome and I just love it!! <3<3
December 17, 2016
A very touching volume! Finally, we learn about Naruto's parents and nine tails attack against Konoha!
June 11, 2018
Another great volume, loved the kushina backstory and Naruto meeting his mom^.^ 👌💕👻😁
June 25, 2018
SO MANY TEARS
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