Source: Wikipedia
“The End of Tears”
“After activating Stage 2 of his Cursed Mark, Sasuke transforms into a winged equal to Naruto in power. Both remembering their time as teammates, Sasuke enlightens Naruto that they are in the “Final Valley” and mentions the irony of it as a fitting place to settle things between them once and for all. With Naruto and Sasuke at their peaks of power, the two prepare their final attacks: Naruto’s Nine-Tails chakra-infused Rasengan and Sasuke’s Curse-Mark-enhanced Chidori collide and form a dome around the two before Sasuke stabs Naruto through the chest. Naruto leaves a deep scratch on Sasuke’s headband with the last of his strength. The dome disappears, and Sasuke stands over Naruto in victory. However, refusing to follow the same path as his brother (killing your best friend to unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan) and remembering what Naruto means to him, Sasuke spares Naruto’s life and heads off to Orochimaru’s hideout. Kakashi arrives soon after to see a knocked-out and injured Naruto, carrying him away while unaware that a mysterious member of the Akatsuki had watched the entire fight unfold from underground.”
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Analysis
The following analysis will look at:
The Final Valley
The risks of using the curse mark
The risks of using the nine-tailed chakra
Flashback technique used
Naruto’s Nine-Tails chakra-infused Rasengan vs. Sasuke’s Curse-Mark-enhanced Chidori
Significance of Itachi Uchiha in this episode
The element of suspense towards the end of the episode
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The Final Valley
After activating Stage 2 of his Cursed Mark, Sasuke transforms into a winged creature equal to Naruto in power. Both remembering their time as teammates, Sasuke enlightens Naruto that they are in the “Final Valley” and mentions the irony of it as a fitting place to settle things between them once and for all. In this episode, we are shown two statues: Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. They are the founders of the Hidden Leaf Village, and this “Final Valley” seems to be the last time they saw each other, possibly having had a battle. What happened to them? It evokes a sense of curiosity, a quality also evident in other anime, such as Naruto Shippuden. Moreover, the fact that this will settle things between them once and for all is shown through Sasuke’s words. Sasuke said, “It’s called the Final Valley; the perfect setting for this fight, isn’t it, Naruto? Well, alright, of course. I said there would be no more talking, didn’t I? In that case, I guess we are at the end—the end of this fight and all the fights up to now.” In the meantime, Sasuke and Naruto are battling in the “Final Valley,” making the episode interesting to watch.
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The risks of using the curse mark
After activating Stage 2 of his Cursed Mark, Sasuke starts to feel pain in his body. He then remembers what one of the sound ninjas (possibly Ukon or Sakkon) has said about the curse mark. He said, “Remember, if you unleash it for too long, the curse will start to eat away at your body, and once it spreads through your body, your former self will be gone. Never again to return.” Sasuke then feels the pain once again and says in his mind, “My body. I guess I can’t waste any more time.” As it is shown, the curse mark proves to be a disadvantage in the sense that it holds a lot of power, and it is probably difficult for one body to control it. Therefore, when Sasuke says he can’t waste any more time, he knows that if he keeps on delaying, his former self will be gone.
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The risks of using the nine-tailed chakra
Naruto starts to realise that his body is in distress as well. He said in his mind, “My left arm, I can’t feel it anymore.” As you may be aware, the nine-tailed chakra has its benefits. For example, it helped Naruto defeat Neji during the Chunin exams. Moreover, it helped Naruto to summon Gamabunta so that he could save Sakura and Sasuke from Gaara. Yet, it has its risks. When we were shown the nine tails for the first time, he seemed hostile and aggressive, and it seemed he only wanted to use Naruto’s body for his benefit. His hostility is evident when Naruto is so hostile and aggressive in fighting Sasuke, to the extent that Naruto says he will do whatever it takes to get Sasuke back, even if it means breaking his bones. Moreover, the nine-tailed chakra takes a toll on Naruto’s body, which is why Naruto can’t feel his left arm. This is why Sasuke said to Naruto, “That power of yours, by using it, you’re taking a risk, aren’t you?”
As we can see, the similarity between the curse mark and the nine-tailed chakra is that they are both too powerful to control, and they can take a toll on someone’s body. For example, Sasuke feels pain while Naruto can’t feel his left arm anymore.
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The flashback technique was used.
The flashback technique is used to show a glimpse of what happened between Naruto and Sasuke in previous episodes. For instance:
The time Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura became squad 7.
When Team 7 won Kakashi’s survival test as first-time genin
Naruto saved Sasuke from a snake in the forest of death.
When Sasuke admitted that he wanted to fight with Naruto during the Chunin exams, Naruto wanted that as well.
Naruto summoned Gamabunta to save Sasuke and Sakura from Gaara.
The clash between Sasuke and Naruto on the rooftop: Chidori vs. Rasengan.
All these flashbacks were helpful to show the audience how far Naruto and Sasuke have come from having disagreements to now considering each other friends. It also shows how both have gained strength through their training, and now this battle serves to showcase their results.
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Naruto’s Nine-Tails chakra-infused Rasengan vs. Sasuke’s Curse-Mark-enhanced Chidori.
With Naruto and Sasuke at their peaks of power, the two prepare their final attacks: Naruto’s Nine-Tails chakra-infused Rasengan and Sasuke’s Curse-Mark enhanced Chidori collide and form a dome around the two before Sasuke stabs Naruto through the chest. Naruto leaves a deep scratch on Sasuke’s headband with the last of his strength. The dome disappears, and Sasuke stands over Naruto in victory. Both of their chakras were increasing each second until they collided and formed a dome shape. In other words, both of their chakras were so enormous to the extent that Kakashi, along the way in the forest, said in his mind, “That chakra. This isn’t good.” Meanwhile, the dome shape continues to increase in shape and size until it encloses the waterfall. This shows that the curse mark and the nine-tailed chakra seem to be equally powerful in forming the dome shape.
When Sasuke was standing over Naruto in victory, he had a sullen look in his eyes. He said, “Naruto, I’m..” Before he could even finish his sentence, it started to rain, and then Sasuke started to feel pain once again and coughed out blood. From my point of view, Sasuke seems to regret having this battle, as is evident by the sullen look in his eyes. Moreover, he was standing for a long time looking at Naruto, probably feeling sad that he might have hurt his best friend. It is also important to note that this scene is crucial to this episode. For instance, there was sad piano music playing in the background, and Sasuke’s headband fell off. This was used to signify that this was the end of the friendship between Sasuke and Naruto.
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The significance of Itachi Uchiha in this episode
Glimpses of Itachi Uchiha were shown throughout this episode. For instance, when Sasuke says that this battle is the end of it all, Sasuke starts to remember Itachi with his Mangekyo Sharingan. This serves as a reminder to the audience that Sasuke is pursuing the need for power because of Itachi Uchiha. He wants to kill Itachi for the massacre of his parents and the Uchiha clan. Sasuke hopes that Orochimaru will give him the power he needs; however, Sasuke is not aware that Orochimaru just wants to use Sasuke’s body as his vessel.
However, refusing to follow the same path as his brother (killing your best friend to unlock the Mangekyo Sharingan) and remembering what Naruto means to him, Sasuke spares Naruto’s life and heads off to Orochimaru’s hideout. After defeating Naruto, Sasuke was limping in the forest, pressing his arm with a sullen look in his eyes. Then, a piece of depressing music plays in the background as we are shown Sasuke’s memories from his past. For instance,
Sasuke remembers his father saying to him, “Now then, that’s my boy.”
Sasuke remembers his mom saying to him, “When we are alone and no one is around, the only one he talks about is you.”
Sasuke remembers Itachi saying to him, “Because you and I are flesh and blood, I’m always going to be there for you, even if it’s only a never-ending obstacle for you to overcome, even if you do hate me.”
All these memories mean a lot to Sasuke because three of them mean a lot to him. A lot of emotions are shown, which makes the audience feel sympathetic toward Sasuke. What makes it even more tragic is that Itachi is the one who killed his parents, and it hurts because Sasuke also loved Itachi, so this sense of betrayal makes it hard to accept. To add insult to injury, we are shown a part of Itachi that is cold to Sasuke. He said, “Like me, you may be one of the few who can use Mangekyo Sharingan, but there is a catch: take the life of your best friend.” Although Sasuke remembers Itachi with his Mangekyo Sharingan, saying, “Take the life of your best friend; you must kill him,” Sasuke refuses to listen to Itachi. For instance, Sasuke stands still in the forest and says in his mind, “No, brother, just because you say it doesn’t mean I’m going to listen.” As he began to walk again to Orochimaru’s hideout, Sasuke said, “I’ll get my hands on that power, but not the way you want me to. I’m going to surpass you, and I’ll do it my way. I will.”
The fact that Sasuke refuses to kill Naruto to get the Mangekyo Sharingan shows the extent of their bond. Indeed, Sasuke considers Naruto not only his best friend but also his brother. He would rather find other means to get power instead of killing his friend. Therefore, there is hope that one day they will rekindle their friendship; hence, the element of hope is shown in this episode.
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The element of suspense towards the end of the episode
It is important to note that Kakashi said something significant when he and Pakkun found Naruto. He said, “Look at that river; the water just rages on for eternity like this epic, never-ending battle. It’s as eternal as the two founders of the Hidden Leaf Village, forever standing in these statues. Naruto and Sasuke, as long as they live, their cycle will continue.” This means that Naruto and Sasuke will meet once again, and they will probably go through the cycles of battling against each other just like the two founders of the Hidden Leaf Village: Madara Uchiha and Hashirama Senju. Therefore, the use of foreshadowing is shown here to hint at what will happen later in the plot.
Kakashi arrives soon after to see a knocked-out and injured Naruto, carrying him away while unaware that a mysterious member of the Akatsuki had watched the entire fight unfold from underground. Pakkun says that due to the rain, he won’t be able to track Sasuke’s scent and says that keeping Naruto alive is more important than finding Sasuke. Afterwards, Kakashi walked away unaware that a mysterious member of the Akatsuki had watched the entire fight unfold from underground. Creepy music starts to play in the background as the mysterious Akatsuki member says, “Things have taken an interesting turn, haven’t they? Indeed”. Who is he? What does he plan to do with the information? Does he work with Orochimaru? The audience is left with questions, hence the element of suspense until they watch other episodes.
The lesson from this episode is that one may find friendship when they least expect it, just like Sasuke and Naruto are now friends, even though they had disagreements in the past.
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and then Add to home screen.