Naruto Chapters 699 and 700

This past week, chapters 699 and 700 of Naruto were released, closing the series. It ended on the character Naruto's 17th birthday, on the 17th anniversary of the pilot chapter's release. It had been running for 15 years, and I had been following it for nine. It was going to end on the maddening number 699, but author Masashi Kishimoto was benevolent enough to give a double release and end things on the cleaner number 700.

The first chapter dealt with the end of the war and resolution of present troubles, and the second chapter was an epilogue, about 15 years in the future.

The resolution was fine and I was glad to be offered an explanation on a number of loose threads that I didn't think were going to be addressed, but because of time constraints, some of the explanations introduced further questions.

To cancel the Infinite Tsukuyomi, Naruto and Sasuke were supposed to touch seals or, alternately, Sasuke was going to use a combination of his Rinnegan and the power of the Tailed Beasts to cancel it. I thought the option of using the seals was done with when Naruto and Sasuke exploded the hands with their seals on them clean off, but we see them touching off-hands to form a seal and cancel the technique. I guess ending things with cooperation is more poetic than just having Sasuke use his alternate method.

As the illusion is dispelled we see Spiral Zetsu, reaching toward Yamato plaintively as he unravels, leaving his existence and purpose a mystery, and the nature of his death up for speculation. Next page we see Darui releasing Samui and Atsui from the Sage's weapons, despite him being at a loss on how to do that after they had been sealed initially.

Flash forward a bit and it's revealed that Kakashi is the sixth Hokage. For unexplained reasons, Tsunade has stepped down but is still an active medical ninja, making prosthetic arms out of Hashirama's cells for Naruto and Sasuke. With no real explanation, Sasuke suddenly decides that he needs to tour the world and skips town right before his prosthetic is completed. Also he pokes Sakura in the forehead like his brother did to him, strangely as a form of courtship.

And now for the epilogue.

Naruto and Hinata got married, Sasuke and Sakura got married, Shikamaru and Temari got married, Ino and Sai got married, Chouji and Karui, the girl that gave Naruto a back-alley beatdown got married. Also, I missed it the first time around, but Kiba and Tamaki, the ninja cat lady that gave Juugo a curtain seem to have something going on. Naruto and Hinata had a son and daughter, Bolt and Himawari, Sasuke and Sakura had a daughter, Salad (yes, that's her name), Shikamaru and Temari had a son, Shikadai. Ino and Sai had a son, Inojin, Chouji and Karui had a daughter, Chouchou, and Kiba and Tamaki have seemed to decide on having lots of cats and dogs instead of children.

Neither Bolt nor Himawari have Byakugan, so it must be a recessive trait, and both of them have blonde hair and blue eyes, making them far closer in appearance to their father than their mother. Each have two whisker marks, one less than their father, so Kurama's genetic influence seems to regress by a whisker mark per generation. Bolt looks and acts almost exactly like Naruto at that age with a slightly different haircut. He even pulls pranks and paints the Hokage faces like his father did. It doesn't make sense, though, because Naruto behaved that way because everybody hated him for having Kurama inside of him, and because he didn't have any parents. Bolt is explained as acting that way due to his father being absent quite often as a result of his responsibilities as the Seventh Hokage (oh yeah, Kakashi stepped down voluntarily after about 15 years to allow Naruto the position). Bolt's issues are closer to those of Konohamaru's, being seen only as a relation to the Hokage. I guess it makes sense then, that Konohamaru is revealed as Bolt's sensei.

But the obvious parallels between Naruto and Bolt's history, combined with the gravity of Naruto's emotional pain as a child, leave a feeling that there has been a lack of progress in the new generation. And really, Naruto's absence during Bolt's upbringing could be easily solved with a kage bunshin.

Salad is interesting. She wears glasses which is ironic because it implies that she has weak eyes, despite being an Uchiha who pride themselves in the strength of their eyes. If she were to awaken her Sharingan, she would also be the first female Uchiha to be shown with Sharingan, although since it is awakened through emotional trauma, I suppose we are supposed to hope that she never needs to awaken it. Her fixation with Bolt can be interpreted as similar to Sakura's affection for Sasuke, or Sasuke's rivalry with Naruto.

Shikadai is exactly Shikamaru with a slightly different eye shape and a bit more eyeliner. I wanted Shikamaru to have a daughter, since Shikamaru always gets stuck with girls, and it's funny since he finds them troublesome. Also, since Temari has four ponytails, and Shikamaru has one ponytail, it would have been a good opportunity for their child to have pigtails.

Inojin could be a young Inoichi, but at least he's distinct from his mother by being a different gender.

I LOVE Chouchou! Most of the children disappointed me by being carbon copies of their parents, but Chouchou is a glorying exception to the rule. They showed the children before the parents, so when I saw the new generation of InoShikaChou, I was surprised to see that the obvious member of the Akimichi was black. Chouji's character growth was largely based on his initially insecurity regarding his weight. Imagine a character that has the same body image insecurities, along with Sakura's insecurity about being female in a male-dominated profession, along with body image and how it applies to women, along with being the only black member of her peer group, along with body image and how it applies to ethnicity, and ethnicity as it applies to gender. Also, being mixed race and being the only daughter of the only mixed couple.

And then Inojin disses Chouchou for being fat, which was Chouji's trigger. Her response? "Yeah I'm fat, deal with it". Chouji's kid is CONFIDENT, despite being presented with additional challenges. The only member of the new generation to deal with her challenges better than the generation before her.

And think about it... Since Ino and Chouji call on the children to learn an InoShikaChou combination, it looks like Chouchou has Chouji's multi-size technique. And since Karui had lightning chakra, does this mean that Chouchou could become a giantess with a lightning-fused Butterfly Bomb?

Kishi introduced my favourite character in the last chapter of the story.

Shino has a Star Trek Geordi La Forge visor and is the new academy teacher, presumably since a position was available after Shikamaru was promoted to Hokage's advisor. Akamaru got old. In this world of talking animals (including Inuzuka clan dogs) and toads that view a 50-year-old Jiraiya as a "tadpole" and an elder that has existed since the beginning of chakra, I kind of assumed that dog years wouldn't apply.

Tenten owns a weapon shop, but can't sell anything because the world is too peaceful. Rock Lee has a student and replicates his and Guy's relationship. Lee is buff now, which is not to my taste. I always figured he had a slim figure, and the way he is now makes him parallel Guy too exactly. People speculate that Lee's apprentice is his son, and that perhaps Tenten is the mother, but since Lee had no relation to Guy despite looking physically similar, and since Lee and Tenten are not shown interacting or suggesting romantic involvement, I feel this is empty speculation.

As far as pairings go, it looks like the girls got what they wanted. Hinata wanted Naruto, Naruto wanted Sakura, and Hinata got Naruto. Sakura wanted Sasuke, Sasuke wanted no one, and Sakura got Sasuke. Ino wanted Sasuke but both her and Sakura saw Sai as an alternative, so it looks like Ino lost the battle of love and got "Sasuke Silver".

Neither Hinata and Naruto, nor Sakura and Sasuke were shown interacting, which is a weird way of closing things.

People complain that Chouji and Karui never interacted before the timeskip, and that their relationship is "random". But really, it's been 15 years. I should hope that some development occurred that wasn't predated to before the war. It's the only unique development, I think, and I'm fully supportive of it.

As far as character designs go, most people are either not very different, or uglier than they were before the timeskip. Naruto has a stupid buzzcut which doesn't suit him, Sasuke looks pretty much like Madara. Hinata and Sakura are fairly unchanged. Kiba has a soul patch, which fits him, and Chouji's got a goatee, which I like, along with cornrows. Sai looks the same, Shikamaru swapped out his old vest for the new standard one, to fit his boring, standard appearance. He has a soul patch like Kiba which looks good but mimics his father, and without the scars, he still looks like a weaker imitation. Ino has aged well, so she gets away with a look that leaves her midriff exposed. Shino looks good in his visor. Karui has aged from a girlish build to a more womanly one.

In "The Last: Naruto", a film which will cover the gap between the timeskips in the manga, there is an additional roster of intermediate character designs. Naruto has the same annoying haircut but with an inverted colourscheme that does no fit him. I love Sasuke's look. He's got bandages around his head and he's wearing a poncho. People say he looks too much like Tayuya and also a hobo, but I think he pulls off the homeless Tayuya look beautifully. Also, he wears chains around his neck, giving him a bit of a rapper vibe. Shikamaru, Kiba, Sai, Ino, Sakura, Lee, Tenten, and Kakshi have revealed appearances that aren't drastically different. Hinata shows a little skin, making her appear more confident. Chouji has short hair and gauntlets with the beginnings of a beard. I only take issue with the haircut, which would impede him from using his Spiked Meat Tank technique. I don't recall seeing Shino's design for this time period.

There's an "Ex-Kage meet" in the prologue. It seems that all the kages except Gaara stepped down after the war, but no explanation for this is given. Based on the folds in A's robes, it looks like he never got his left arm replaced, despite Hashirama prosthetics being available. Maybe he's too buff for the skinny White Zetsu arm, or maybe he would only be willing to attach a Black Zetsu prosthetic, for image reasons.

Oonoki has to be at least 90 now, and he notes that his mobility issues have gotten drastically worse. It would have been nice, in a way, to have him be the first Kage to pass from old age over the timeskip, as a symbol of the shinobi world's new state of sustained peace.

And I still think Tsunade should have died after reviving the rest of the Kage after losing to Madara. It would have given the battle with Madara meaning, it would have opened a position for Hokage, given Sakura space to provide her own influence on the series, and it would have been a noble way to die. Also, it would have given Orochimaru an opportunity to act as a substitute Hokage as the Gokage arrive on the battlefield.

They show Kakashi and Gai having tea after Kakashi resigns from Hokage, and Gai is wheelchair-bound after the injuries he sustained after his fight with Madara. Gai is another person who should have died. He had that noble sacrifice by opening the Eighth Gate, which had been hyped since Rock Lee's battle with Gaara during the Chuunin exam, fabled to make you stronger than the Hokage, but at the cost of your life. He had that expanded backstory and those flashbacks. He assured Lee to look at him smiling as he opened the gates, and in his flashback, his father told him that the springtime of youth burns brightest during the time of death, that the final technique is used, not to defeat an opponent, but to protect something important. Madara mocked his "blood steam" as resembling the falling leaves of autumn, and he shot back that his Autumn leaves would provide nourishment for the growing buds of the new generation, the screen panning to Lee.

Gai battered down Madara, Madara praised Gai as being the greatest taijutsu user in history, and said that he hadn't felt so excited since he fought Hashirama. To put that in perspective, Madara LOST the battle with Hashirama, and at that time he had only one of the Tailed Beasts and the Mangekyou Sharingan instead of the Rinnegan. Gai was strong enough to outperform Hashirama enough to intimidate an upgraded Madara to this extent.

Gai should have battered Madara down, and then, as his time let out, he should have passed away. Then his corpse would have stood up in a way that paralleled Lee's unconscious body rising to stand against Gaara in the Chuunin exams. Then he should have released his final attack, the "Night Dragon", a continuation on the Morning Peacock, Afternoon Tiger, and Evening Elephant, an attack that can only be achieved after the user's sun has set, and he should have burned to ashes in that final burning kick.

But Naruto had to revive him, and now we see him after 15 years unable to practice his life's dedication, reflecting on his past glory days as his only pastime.

We get to see Killer B. Gyuuki is shown to be inside of him, and for some reason, the tooth he lost while fighting the Juubi is back. I wonder if his horns are back too. They aren't shown in the panel.

We get to see the new roster of Kages, which includes...

Naruto as Hokage
Gaara as Kazekage
Darui as Raikage
Kurotsuchi as Tsuchikage
Choujurou as Mizukage

Darui was fairly predictable, but he's out of place as the only member of a previous generation. Omoi stands behind him as his attendant, potentially a future Raikage. Omoi would belong to the same generation as the Kage, but I suppose if he was introduced, Darui's contribution as a standby would go unnoticed and it would be a gap in shinobi history as seen by readers.

Kurotsuchi is a pleasant surprise. I expected her father, Kitsuchi, rto take the role, as it was him and not her that acted as a general during the Joint Shinobi Alliance, and he is the direct descendant of Oonoki. But I have always preferred Kurotsuchi to Kitsuchi because olf the generational power development:

Muu: Invisibility, weight manipulation, dust release, earth, wind, and fire release
Oonoki: Weight manipulation, dust release, earth, wind, and fire release
Kitsuchi: Earth release
Kurotsuchi: Magma release, earth, fire, water release

So it was decreasing talent until Kurotsuchi, who introduced magma and water release. She also charmed me by taking on Kabuto and Manda 2 and outshining the three men who came to her rescue. She also showed leadership potential as she took over the role of general when Kitsuchi was busy fighting Kinkaku, and was an active contributor in exploiting the White Zetsu army's initial attempt to stealth attack the Alliance. It also makes sense that Iwagakure would take a younger leader, as the previous Tsuchikage ruled longer than any other Kage in shinobi history, which means they might value someone who can hold the position for a long period of time.

Choujurou is interesting, as he had insecurity issues, although his talent landing him a position as the sole member of the Seven Swordsmen of the Mist and a Mizukage's attendant, outperforming a Level One Kyuubi Chakra Cloaked Naruto during the initial battle against Black Zetsu definitely make him out to be talented enough for the position. But Mei being relatively young brings back the question of the previous Kages resignation.

Naruto is seen using a laptop, and a city is seen behind the Hokage Mountains. I guess technology advanced since people are less distracted with killing each other.

One question that was never answered in the series is why Kaguya wanted an army of White Zetsu to begin with. If she is the Mother of Chakra, what was powerful enough that she needed an army to oppose it?

Also, we never saw Kakashi's face.

And to finish this off... I take issue with the closing splash panel of Naruto's engraved face on the Hokage Mountain. Naruto's goal to become Hokage was like the stated purpose of the series. We've been waiting the entire manga to see it. And we finally do, and it's covered in Bolt's graffiti. That in itself is annoying, because I don't appreciate the message that Bolt brings to the series, and this is the last opportunity we have to see the monument in its purity. But the real gripe I have is that the Straw Hat Jolly Roger is scrawled on the headband of Naruto's likeness. I fully appreciate that One Piece, the series that this symbol comes from, has been standing alongside Naruto as its partner in the world of mainstream manga, but the time to honour this bond is anywhere but here. This was what we Naruto fans have been waiting for for 15 years, and it should be an intimate moment dedicated to our journey. Just a bad way to cap things off, in my opinion.

The very last panel was a page summarizing the story of the manga, and done in the likeness of the first page of the series. It should also be noticed that the final chapter has the same title as the first. Everything properly bookended.