NARUTO VOLUME 13 – THE CHUNIN EXAM, CONCLUDED…!!
March 19th 2009 01:06
Category: Graphic Novels/Comics
Publisher: VIZ Media LLC
Story & Art by: Masashi Kishimoto
Translation & English Adaptation: Mari Morimoto
Touch up Art & Lettering: Inori Fukuda Trant
Additional Touch up: Josh Simpson
Design: Sean Lee
Cost: AU$14.95/US $7.95
In the Five Great Shinobi nations for a ninja to progress beyond being a lowly ranked genin they must successfully complete the various stages of the Chunin selection exam, easier than it sounds as there have been many who have been made into vegetables, driven insane, killed or rendered incapable of operating as a ninja ever again. And that’s just from trying to past the written section of the exam people...just kidding. Genin are the foot soldiers in any ninja unit, whilst the Chunin are platoon leaders, their role and responsibilities weigh heavy on their shoulders so it is not a role that just any old Toshiro, Shino or Choji off the street can fulfil, it requires someone with the essential qualities necessary which are usually revealed by their passing the exam. Otherwise why bother having such an exam in the first place?
So as the drama opens on this particular volume of the Naruto manga series the final stage of the exam has gotten underway in the Hidden Leaf village’s arena. Our erstwhile hyperactive and number one maverick ninja hero has managed to defeat the previous year’s number one rookie and Hyuga genius; Neji. It’s a shock result for everyone concerned but at last finally Naruto is able to receive the accolades he has been seeking for ever since his graduation from the village’s Ninja academy. At last the villagers acknowledge his existence and he is pleased as punch, as you would be in that situation. Now all that awaits is the confrontation between Sasuke of the Uchiha clan and the decidedly eerie and monstrous Gaara of the Sand.
Of course this showdown between two up and coming genin is despite everyone else’s perceptions of things is not a final confrontation in the Chunin exam, the crowing point of the festivities, no it is but simply a prelude to something far more sinister and catastrophic. In the early moments of the second phase of the Chunin exam Sasuke had the misfortune to draw the attention of Orochimaru, the renegade member of the Sanin and former student of the Third Hokage. This serpentine ninja seems to see in Sasuke a kindred spirit and thus is very keen to take him under his wing and guide him on the path to power, he goes so far as to mark him with a unique curse mark that will grant Sasuke great power under certain conditions and if he survives the branding. As you can gather Sasuke has managed to overcome the curse mark but he has no idea what is to further unveil itself as he faces off against Gaara…
Kakashi Sensei has some idea; he knows part of Orochimaru’s agenda and stopped his henchmen Kabuto from kidnapping Sasuke whilst he lay in the hospital recovering from his ordeals. He has placed a seal on the curse mark in order to prevent Orochimaru from exerting his influence over the young survivor of the Uchiha clan, but that seal relies as much on Sasuke’s strength of will as it does upon its mystic might, should the young boys will waver the mark will exert its malignant influence upon him. The serpentine Sanin finds it all rather amusing as he feels that Sasuke will come to him, he has a heart filled with vengeance and that will draw him into the shadows and seek out Orochimaru.
But it isn’t just simply Orochimaru planning something devious under the cover of the final stage of the Chunin exam, the Sand village in alliance with the Sound village are about to embark on an action that will have catastrophic consequences for the Leaf village. Although the Sand village has a treaty of alliance with the Leaf it seems as if that treaty has been a major hindrance for the Sand and they intend to do something about it, namely at the behest of the Kazekage, the village leader, embark on full scale conflict. It was for this reason that the three siblings, Temari, Kankuro and Gaara were entered into the Chunin exam under the guidance of Baki their sensei. As the Sand village has had to improve the quality of each individual Shinobi these three were deemed the best suited to infiltrate the Leaf village, especially Gaara who is the Sand’s secret weapon.
Unfortunately Gaara has other ideas; he is not so much concerned with the plans of his superiors or the strategy that his father Lord Kazekage, his adopted, to him all that matters is confronting the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan. A troubled individual, too put it mildly, Gaara sees the sole reason for his existence as a weapon to kill all those who are not him. He fights only for himself and loves only himself, to his eyes the rest of the world and all those in it exist solely to magnify these feelings and confirm his existence. A rather twisted world view but then again when you have been warped from birth by a secret and forbidden ninjutsu and survived countless assassination attempts ordered by your father you’d probably end up slightly bent, if not totally psycho.
Actually apart from being the antagonist in this showdown with Sasuke Gaara also fulfils a very important function within the frame work of the Naruto manga; he is a dark reflection of the main character. The first time that Naruto and Shikamaru confront the enigmatic Sand ninja and they learn of his existence Naruto swiftly comes to the realisation that they are very much alike. So much so that if it hadn’t been for certain twists of fate he would have likely ended up as the same as Gaara.
This driving urge to kill all those who are not him causes Naruto and Shikamaru to come to the conclusion that he is bent on spilling Sasuke’s blood. Killing the last of the Uchiha living in the Leaf village would satisfy his bloodlust to no end and once the two realise that they know that the only thing that can prevent a tragedy is to warn Kakashi Sensei and get him to stop the match before it goes too far. Kakashi is a bit ahead of the game though and has prepared Sasuke for facing an opponent like Gaara, what he hasn’t prepared him for is the events that unfold as a result of the fight. Demonstrating a unique ninjutsu developed by his sensei Sasuke inadvertently causes events to reach an ‘unforseen’ climax, one with potentially dire consequences. The tempo is already at a high peak as you read this volume but it seems in the closing chapters Mr Kishimoto has ratcheted it up to another whole level, once again showing his skill as both an artist and master storyteller.
Naruto Volume 13 is definitely worth the effort of getting a hold of…Believe It!
Story & Art by: Masashi Kishimoto
Translation & English Adaptation: Mari Morimoto
Touch up Art & Lettering: Inori Fukuda Trant
Additional Touch up: Josh Simpson
Design: Sean Lee
Cost: AU$14.95/US $7.95
In the Five Great Shinobi nations for a ninja to progress beyond being a lowly ranked genin they must successfully complete the various stages of the Chunin selection exam, easier than it sounds as there have been many who have been made into vegetables, driven insane, killed or rendered incapable of operating as a ninja ever again. And that’s just from trying to past the written section of the exam people...just kidding. Genin are the foot soldiers in any ninja unit, whilst the Chunin are platoon leaders, their role and responsibilities weigh heavy on their shoulders so it is not a role that just any old Toshiro, Shino or Choji off the street can fulfil, it requires someone with the essential qualities necessary which are usually revealed by their passing the exam. Otherwise why bother having such an exam in the first place?
Kakashi Sensei has some idea; he knows part of Orochimaru’s agenda and stopped his henchmen Kabuto from kidnapping Sasuke whilst he lay in the hospital recovering from his ordeals. He has placed a seal on the curse mark in order to prevent Orochimaru from exerting his influence over the young survivor of the Uchiha clan, but that seal relies as much on Sasuke’s strength of will as it does upon its mystic might, should the young boys will waver the mark will exert its malignant influence upon him. The serpentine Sanin finds it all rather amusing as he feels that Sasuke will come to him, he has a heart filled with vengeance and that will draw him into the shadows and seek out Orochimaru.
But it isn’t just simply Orochimaru planning something devious under the cover of the final stage of the Chunin exam, the Sand village in alliance with the Sound village are about to embark on an action that will have catastrophic consequences for the Leaf village. Although the Sand village has a treaty of alliance with the Leaf it seems as if that treaty has been a major hindrance for the Sand and they intend to do something about it, namely at the behest of the Kazekage, the village leader, embark on full scale conflict. It was for this reason that the three siblings, Temari, Kankuro and Gaara were entered into the Chunin exam under the guidance of Baki their sensei. As the Sand village has had to improve the quality of each individual Shinobi these three were deemed the best suited to infiltrate the Leaf village, especially Gaara who is the Sand’s secret weapon.
Unfortunately Gaara has other ideas; he is not so much concerned with the plans of his superiors or the strategy that his father Lord Kazekage, his adopted, to him all that matters is confronting the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan. A troubled individual, too put it mildly, Gaara sees the sole reason for his existence as a weapon to kill all those who are not him. He fights only for himself and loves only himself, to his eyes the rest of the world and all those in it exist solely to magnify these feelings and confirm his existence. A rather twisted world view but then again when you have been warped from birth by a secret and forbidden ninjutsu and survived countless assassination attempts ordered by your father you’d probably end up slightly bent, if not totally psycho.
Actually apart from being the antagonist in this showdown with Sasuke Gaara also fulfils a very important function within the frame work of the Naruto manga; he is a dark reflection of the main character. The first time that Naruto and Shikamaru confront the enigmatic Sand ninja and they learn of his existence Naruto swiftly comes to the realisation that they are very much alike. So much so that if it hadn’t been for certain twists of fate he would have likely ended up as the same as Gaara.
This driving urge to kill all those who are not him causes Naruto and Shikamaru to come to the conclusion that he is bent on spilling Sasuke’s blood. Killing the last of the Uchiha living in the Leaf village would satisfy his bloodlust to no end and once the two realise that they know that the only thing that can prevent a tragedy is to warn Kakashi Sensei and get him to stop the match before it goes too far. Kakashi is a bit ahead of the game though and has prepared Sasuke for facing an opponent like Gaara, what he hasn’t prepared him for is the events that unfold as a result of the fight. Demonstrating a unique ninjutsu developed by his sensei Sasuke inadvertently causes events to reach an ‘unforseen’ climax, one with potentially dire consequences. The tempo is already at a high peak as you read this volume but it seems in the closing chapters Mr Kishimoto has ratcheted it up to another whole level, once again showing his skill as both an artist and master storyteller.
Naruto Volume 13 is definitely worth the effort of getting a hold of…Believe It!
| 14 |
| Vote |
subscribe to this blog
