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when you died protecting your crush but you came back to life so now it’s awkward

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•NARUTO

Fueled by rage after witnessing Sasuke's apparent death, Naruto instinctively unleashed the Nine-Tails chakra inside himself to get revenge.

• ZABUZA

Zabuza's angry expression. This is Zabuza's expression as he glares at Gatō, who treated Haku's dead body as if he were an object and kicked him on his face.

After this, Zabuza's "anger" awakens the "demon" Insided him... he becomes the "demon" and charges towards Gatō and killed him.

During the war arc....Haku actually gets to hear and find out that zabuza deeply cared for him.

• SAI

Even though Sai had lost all emotions, such as happiness or sadness, for some reason...he always carried the picture book he had drawn for Shin with him at all times. He refused to let go of it...

However, when Deidara tries to turn his brother into a "bomb" again , Sai's anger finally explodes. Sai shows his rage for the first time.

Sai's expression as he glares at Deidara , who treated his dead brother like an object and put explosive clay in his stomach to turn him into a bomb . After this, Sai picks up his brush and paints the " Kongo Rikishi " in one go. It emphasize the intensity of sai's anger and the visible effects it has on him. The picture that Sai drew in anger looks like the Agyo and Ungyo. Agyo is commonly placed to the right and Ungyo to the left. The open-mouthed one is making the “a” sound and is known as “agyo” and the closed-mouth is making the “un” sound and is called “ungyo“. They are said to represent the beginning and end of the world. "a" is the beginning and "Un" is the end . The Kongo Rikishi 's "Fist of Fury" sends Sasori and Deidara flying. This may be the strongest and greatest art Sai has ever done. Agyo (the one showing his teeth, expressing anger outwardly) and Ungyo (the one with his mouth closed, hiding his anger inside)... Sai is probably seeing himself and Shin in these "A-un" forms. Sai who shows his anger outwardly, and Shin who keeps his anger hidden in his heart in silence. Their anger transforms into the "fist of rage of the Kongo Rikishi ," and they push Deidara and Sasori down.

The last page of the picture book shows Shin and Sai smiling and holding hands, which was "a picture of their dream = holding hands and smiling happily." Seeing that, Shin smiled gently and happily. Shin has easily attained nirvana because he was able to see the last page of Sai's drawing. Just as Sai had always wanted a connection with Shin...and Shin had also always wanted a connection with Sai. Shin smiles as he disappears. Tears run down Sai's cheeks.

Naruto's bond with Sasuke reminded sai of the dream he had with his non-blood-related brother:

It was Shin after all who brought him back his emotions. His happiness, anger, sadness, smile....it's all inside him, but it only shows up when he's with Shin or when he thinks about "them". Sai sees in the bond between Naruto and Sasuke the future he desires for them (sai & shin).

If you truly love someone, he has to tear down his eyes — In happiness or sadness. When you are in your adversest stage of life, still you can’t cry....But you can easily cry for your important one. Sometimes, one action is enough to actualize authenticity.

what Naruto & Sasuke really wanted to be from their childhood was this.

So that's why their story is definitely similar to "Naruto and Sasuke".... they walk different paths, fight different battles, and grow... and in the end they (wanted to) meet and "hold their hands and look in the same direction".

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“Bridge” in NARUTO...

A ``bridge'' is something that ``connects'' two things that are separated. A bridge is one of the most important symbols of a relationship. In human relationships, it can refer to the ability to connect with others, building emotional bridges that bring people together. This symbolism is used to foster empathy and understanding, key elements in building healthy and functional relationships. Another thing is that, In every person's life, there are moments of significant change, turning points that require a transition from one stage to another. The bridge represents that path, often filled with uncertainty and fear, but also hope and possibility.

Rivers and bridges appear frequently in NARUTO , making memorable appearances in scenes of meetings and partings. A bridge is a road that connects two distant worlds. It is also a place where you can meet a different world, and a place where you can depart to another world. And a destroyed bridge represents disconnection and suffering.

It is a story about re-building (connecting) bridges (connections) that have been broken... Sometimes we break things without realizing it, or we break them on purpose... Meetings, partings... Feelings we want to connect, feelings we want to break... It's safe to say that it's always a memorable scene. The ``bridge'' that appears in the story... Each person's feelings collide and intersect...

In Naruto, ``bridges'' often appear as places for encounters, farewells and hope.

1. MIZUKIRI

The ``mizukiri'' that Hashirama and Madara used to do when they were children...that is like a dream bridge to ``reach the other side''. for Hashirama, it's a ``dream bridge''; for Madara, it's a bridge of dreams (hoping to find the way). For Madara and Hashirama, that Mizukiri (Bridge of Dreams) is an important ``memory that connects them'' that they will never forget.

they are right in their own way too. They really love each other. But their dreams were so sincere and precious to them. they prioritized their dreams more than each other and hence they couldn't able to come to an Understanding.

2. THE LAND OF WAVES

The ``Land of Waves Mission,'' which was the first mission for Naruto and his teammates, also took place on a bridge under construction. For them, who had just become genin, the mission to Wave Country was their first challenge as ninja. Their first real battle with an enemy.

All of them was scared and trembled during this battle. And even Naruto, who was sacred and tried to run away but then he remembered the promise he made to himself about not losing to Sasuke. That's when he decided to fight back, and showed "the courage to never give up and to not run away" in front of Sasuke (and others).

On the first day of Team 7, when Sasuke introduced himself, he said, ``My ambition is.... there's a man I without fail kill.'' And then Sasuke did something that was probably surprising even to himself... in the fight with Haku, he became a shield and sacrificed his life to protect Naruto (on the bridge).

Tazuna "built a bridge of hope"... He firmly built the "The great Naruto Bridge" to give courage and hope to the people of the Land of Waves and to help them regain their confidence. Because it was NARUTO who changed the hearts of the people in LOW and gave them hope and courage.

3. “TENCHI BRIDGE” that Naruto destroyed

Full of desire to get Sasuke back, Naruto heads towards the hidden Tenchi Bridge... But Naruto's feelings get ahead of him and he transforms into the four-tails and destroys the bridge. Naruto destroyed the bridge that was supposed to lead to Sasuke. The ``Tenchi Bridge'' that Naruto destroyed himself... It told us that there was ``still a long way to go'' to reach Sasuke.

The pitiful sight of the Tenchi Bridge, so mercilessly destroyed by the out-of-control Naruto at that time, was a reminder of "Naruto's cry of anguish."

4. Sasuke looked up at “THE GREAT NARUTO BRIDGE”

In Volume 38, shortly after the formation of "Hebi" Sasuke takes Suigetsu with him and visits the Land of Waves to retrieve the ``Kubikiribōchō'' left behind by zabuza. He was looking up at The Great Naruto Bridge, staring at the name of the bridge. He was smiling fondly just bcuz he saw the bridge having naruto's name on it and got reminded of the memories he had with naruto here. Well, even though Sasuke acted like he had severed ties with Naruto in Vote 1 and Orochimaru's lair, the mere sight of Naruto's name and the painful memories associated with it proves that he is unable to cut his ties with Naruto.

Kishimoto said a lot in this one scene; his face, etched with a look of nostalgia, showed a blend of amazement, suggesting a time of a cherished memory. Like, how he chose to carry the memories they shared, keep the bond intact from his side, and pursue his goals in the darkness.

5. Samurai Bridge

It is built out of blue stones and features a large gate at one end, emblazoned with the kanji for samurai (侍). On top of the gate is a large stone statue of a sheathed sword.

During the battle with the Eight Tails (their target), Sasuke risked his life to save taka, he was also concerned about them, asking them if they were okay, he helped Suigetsu back to safety in ch. 412, and he tried his best to save Karin, who was accidently caught in the Amaterasu's flames. He has all the reasons to save suigetsu, juugo and karin. This isn't the first time we've seen him like this, he was adamant about telling Naruto to save Sakura and ready to sacrifice himself to fight Gaara because that's how he is. He cares for taka the same way he did with team 7 in part 1. Sakura, Kakashi and Team Taka... they belong to the same team as him and hence he felt the need to protect them as his Comrades. when he is in a state of emotional balance where intense emotions are not dominating or interfering with his ability to think clearly or act effectively, he will protect his teammates, like he does, whether with team7 or Taka. He wouldn't have leave his comrades to die during those moments. But he also doesn't let any of them (taka) too close emotionally.... like he did with Sakura & Kakashi. which is why Sasuke calls Naruto his only (closest) friend again in the war arc.

At the Five Kage Summit he left them (juugo & suigetsu) behind in the rubble. Karin also noticed Sasuke's change and his chakra growing too cold at the Five Kage Summit. For Sasuke, killing Danzo was above anything else, and as the entire arc progressed, more and more people tried to get in his way... So thus his mind gone spiral completely.

Kishimoto has him stab Karin and almost killed her, to show how damaged Sasuke's mental state was. He sacrificed someone who was not part of his revenge someone who helped him. The intention here was to show Sasuke succumbing to the darkness. He has been completely taken over by darkness. He was completely overwhelmed and consumed by the negative feelings, with hate being the primary emotion driving his actions and thoughts.

At one of the most crucial moments... while trying to save Team Taka.... he thought about Team 7, and awakened Amaterasu.

But after that, he didn't even hesitate to kill the teammates from that very team.

Then the moment Naruto came into the picture and talks about their bond and his feelings for Sasuke, Sasuke actually stopped and listened to it. It is very symbolic that naruto is standing directly in front of a symbol of the sun! Even in the close up panel of Naruto, the sun is in the top right corner, but if you zoom out, the sun is not at eye level.

Naruto suggests a double suicide to Sasuke because he cannot let go of him. He wants to live with Sasuke in the next world and is willing to give up his dream and others for Sasuke. Devoted love was always linked with death. The concept of shinjū was very popular in Edo period, the lovers, who could not live together in the physical world due to social restrictions or obligations, would commit suicide together or kill each other. To be free to love each other in the way they want, to be reunited in the afterlife where they are no longer burdened by the identities they were given.

Karin, who had previously said that Sasuke's chakra was cold, must have noticed something change here.

And at the "Valley of the End" where Naruto and Sasuke parted ways... there was no "bridge connecting the two," and the two began to walk in different directions, but several "bridges" continued to appear afterwards, as if to test them. "The Tenchi Bridge, the Great naruto Bridge again, and the samurai bridge". Then, at the "Valley of the End 2," Naruto and Sasuke join their hands, and the hands of the stone statues of Madara and Hashirama are also joined, and finally, a "bridge" is built over the Valley of the End.

When it comes to Naruto and Sasuke, it's always, “You are more precious than my Dreams...” And that's why Sasuke couldn't able to kill and cut his ties with Naruto even though he had plenty of chances. And that's why Naruto couldn't able to give up on saving Sasuke. Because, each time without fail, both Naruto and Sasuke were able to prioritize their strong love for each other over their dreams. And they came to an understanding.

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Land of Waves arc... After killing Gato, Zabuza collapses on the bridge, exhausted, and in the end he asks Kakashi to take him be by Haku's side. He want to see Haku's face. Zabuza honestly expresses his feelings for Haku.

Kakashi looks away, as he desperately trying to hold back the emotions that are threatening to overflow. There was no need to fight anymore... so Kakashi put his forehead protector over his eye and turned off his combat mode. I think this was an expression of his feelings, that he no longer sees Zabuza as an enemy, but as a person.

So Kakashi picked up Zabuza in his arms and gently took him to Haku's side

Zabuza: 悪いな...カカシ

warui na... Kakashi

I'm sorry (for making you do this)/Thanks (for doing this to me).... Kakashi

悪いな = it is a super casual expression used by males toward equal or lower ranking persons. It sounds rough not polite expression. 悪い → bad → it's my bad (sorry) I'm bothering you → → thank you

When kids talk to each other, either ごめん or 悪い are often used as the conversation or given situation tends to be less serious than the ones adults have.

During the Fourth Shinobi World War, Kakashi meets the Edo Tensei Zabuza & Haku, who asks him to stop them by any means necessary. And Kakashi, he pushes up the forehead protector with his left hand and says, "Yeah, I know."

Kakashi has taken Zabuza's feelings to heart, and is determined to protect their death "as the final enemy." The part where he places his hand on his forehead and answers "ああ..." is the same as in chapter 33 of Land of Waves arc, and it also a sign of determination that, "I have certainly received your feelings, and I will protect your way of death".

Zabuza entrusted Kakashi, believing that Kakashi would be able to stop them from this.

In Edo Tensei, Zabuza is bound by Kabuto and turned him into "an emotionless fighting tool". In other words, in the opposite situation to last time, Zabuza has been transformed "from a human into a tool." So Kakashi ended up pushing up the forehead protector...which was the opposite of what happened during the battle in the Land of Waves. By fighting, "I will protect the way you die"..., this was a manifestation of that determination.

When Naruto said about Zabuza and Haku that, "I kinda liked them," Kakashi replied happily, "Me too". The "strange emotion" that he felt towards their enemies Zabuza and Haku, it made him unable to hate them and empathize with them. Kakashi seemed very happy to know that Naruto had similar feelings towards them.

Kakashi could able to understand that Zabuza was hesitated to cut down Haku at that time...and he couldn't hide his shock at Haku's death. He was able to understand that Zabuza didn't see Haku just as a tool and they deeply cared about their bond.

Instead of hating your enemies, understand and come to terms with them. Love your enemies. And instead of defeating your enemies, save their hearts.

Kakashi believes that Naruto who will change the ninja world, and he wants to say "thank you" to Zabuza and Haku for creating the Naruto he is today. Even though he was deeply wounded, Kakashi smiles at Zabuza. When Naruto instinctively tries to look away from Zabuza's brutal death (Low), but Kakashi says "Don't look away... this is the end of a man who lived his life to the fullest," it is their responsibility as the "final enemy" to witness the death and leave it in their memory (and Naruto abides by this). I think Kakashi gently closed Haku's eyes and carried the dying Zabuza next to Haku as a sign of respect for the way they died. The way they lived and died.

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Clash!!

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stable people: hey how's it going

me: *getting stressed anime adaptations mischaracterize characters I love and leave out important scenes that contribute both to the narrative as well as characterization*

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42 interviews already posted or linked to the archive (I’m so proud 🥹) and I must admit that I’m developing a strong parasocial relationship with Kishimoto.

Like that 50 year old man is now my goat, my uncle and my babygirl and y’all better keep it cute when you talk about him ☝️

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https://www.tumblr.com/weepingnightmarenaruto/775649233787387904/the-way-kishimoto-handles-narutos-trauma-is-so

What are your thoughts on this?

Hello anon!

Ngl this is one of my favorite ask I've ever received because it allows me to discuss something I've been meaning to for quite some time now.

Before I get into the topic that interests me the most, I'll give my observations on this:

Honestly Narutos childhood before the start of the manga needed to be explored more and Kishimoto should’ve given a bigger focus to how Naruto is because of it.

It was explored. Since chapter 1 and throughout flashbacks over the next chapters of the series, Kishimoto efficiently established and explored Naruto's childhood which explained why Naruto behaves the way he does. Kishimoto does not need to grab the readers hand and explain exhaustively so people understand Naruto's character. This manga is not hard to get to need all that.

But the way Kishimoto constantly shows how okay Naruto is with being mistreated as long as he feels they acknowledged him, is so sad. And I wish Kishimoto awknowledged how unhealthy this is.

This is where it gets interesting. It is true that Naruto isn't allowed to get angry at Konoha and is quickly resolved in the manga (although that particular paragraph was in reference to Sasuke). However, this has more to do w/ the fact that Naruto is a shonen and the power of friendship and loyalty overcomes everything, even Kishimoto himself expressed frustration at how naive the resolution of problems in shonen manga is, maybe if the series was a seinen he would've written with more nuanced about Konoha as a political and military entity that also happens to be the home of the child soldiers.

This is also part of the reason why the Kage summit arc pisses me off so much. Naruto lets himself be beat up by Karui over Sasuke, has a panick attack, rejects Gaara, gets on his knees to beg the raikage to pardon Sasuke etc. Like he should be able to emphatize with the Kumo ninjas over what happened to Killer Bee and he should value his friendship with Gaara more. Honestly Sasuke joining the akatsuki and trying to capture Killer Bee should have been a deal breaker to Naruto. And to top that off Naruto witnessing Sasuke trying to Murder Sakura should at least be one. Naruto forgiving people who mistreats him makes sense, but people mistreating the people he cares for should not be. The way Naruto treats so many of his friends over his obsession with Sasuke is so disappointing.

And this is what I wanted to tackle the most. Naruto fans do not understand Kishimoto's writing AT ALL. Idk if the op of that post is Asian or not, but it's become clear to me that Naruto fans don't know and have shown zero interest in getting to know Kishimoto's writing influences. And no, I'm not talking about Dragon Ball.

Kishimoto has shared with fans his interest in Samurai and the Edo period Japan several times, to the point the first manga he wanted to write when he was a highschooler, before he even won an award at Shonen Jump, was about Samurai but scrapped the idea because at the time mangas like Rurouni Kenshin and Blade of the Immortal came out and he felt there was no longer space for him in the highly popular sub-genre and also that he's own writing wasn't as good compared to the aforementioned works.

But that does not mean that we don't see Kishimoto's nerdy side come out in Naruto about Samurai even if it's a manga about ninjas. There's the obvious, we see during the 4th war arc an actual battle between two samurai warriors, we also know Naruto is established in a fantasy universe of feudal Japan with damyos (feudal lords) and all. The themes of honor and loyalty, quests for revenge, the overall kinship is present as well.

But for those who have read Japanese literature works from the 17th century, you would have noticed that Kishimoto borrows A LOT from them when he's writing his manga, especially for Naruto and Sasuke.

It's funny because SS and NH shippers, as well as Naruto stans who hate Sasuke and Sasuke stans who hate Naruto and even fujoshis who are used to cookie-cutter stories where seme and uke do nothing but fuck after a couple of meetings in a corporate setting or high school or whatever boring shit they like to read, use the following examples to show how toxic and unhealthy Naruto and Sasuke's relationship is, not caring about Kishimoto's literary references as usual.

Kishimoto writes a love story the way they used to be written centuries ago. He draws a lot of inspiration from at least two writers from this period Ihara Saikaku and Chikamatsu Monzaemon.

The first example is Haku and Zabuza's relationship, I'll speak about them before moving to Naruto and Sasuke to give more context on how homosexual love stories were written around the time. Although Zabuza is not a samurai but rather a ninja on the run, the relationship is clearly inspired on the wakashudo practices where an older man would take a child from ages 11-16 as his protégé to train him, feed him, give him shelter and take him as his lover until the child came of age and became a warrior at the service of the lord of the land himself. Those young boys must be of great beauty, Saikaku is constantly writing about how their beauty is what grants them the better masters over the ugly boys.

This is what Zabuza and Haku do. Zabuza takes Haku as an apprentice and they swear loyalty to each other till the death, because that's the other thing, if the circumstance presented, both master and apprentice would fight alongside each other, kill for each other and if necessary die for each other.

Many Naruto fans feel uncomfortable about the real nature of Zabuza and Haku's relationship and delude themselves into believing their relationship is actually one of father and son, lol how stupid.

Because Naruto is a shonen, we never see sexual acts being performed so Kishimoto instead shows us the attraction these characters feel for one another through suggestive dialogue and flushed faces.

Even Haku's sacrifice and Zabuza's final words are totally inspired in the works of Saikaku, where both lovers hope to meet each other in another world. Foer exambple, in one of Saikaku's stories The Boy who Sacrificed his Life in the Robes of his lover, the boy, Senjuro, who had pledged to love Sazen in this world and the next and knowing his lover was at risk of being ambushed and killed, disguises himself as Sazen sacrificing his life for him getting slashed from the back, after learning about Senjuro's death Sazen kills himself as well.

Very dramatic right? This other post also discusses briefly Haku and Zabuza and Kishimoto drawing inspiration from literary works from the Edo period [LINK]

Let's move onto Naruto and Sasuke. Is their relationship toxic and unhealthy? By today's standards it sure is. But by the standards of the 17th century is one of the greatest stories of male love ever told, I'm certain if Saikaku could read Naruto he would commend Kishimoto on his work. But this is something Naruto fans don't know and quite frankly most don't care about.

In the post you linked, OP expresses the arc that pisses them off the most (and most Naruto fans hate as well) is the Kage Summit arc where Naruto states his fierce loyalty to Sasuke no matter what, and I must laugh because if there's any arc that resembles the male love stories of the Edo period the most, it's that one.

It bothers most fans Naruto wanted to commit double suicide so he and Sasuke escape the burdens of their world and be free of them in the next one. This is a common theme in literature of 17th century Japan. Two lovers making up for their Confucian failings in this world seeking redemption in a Buddhist paradise (at the time Buddhism had made its way into Japan and it was very different from China and India's Buddhism, you can read more about it here).

Kishimoto has referenced Chikamatsu in Naruto, so he is familiar with his plays where lovers commit double suicide as the ultimate showcase of love. I believe Kishimoto felt more comfortable and had more freedom to reference Chikamatsu and not Saikaku because the former wrote heterosexual romances whereas the latter focused more in homosexual romances and Kishimoto was already walking on a fine line by this point.

These other blogs have written great posts on how Kishimoto incorporated the double suicide trope for Naruto and Sasuke [LINK], [LINK], [LINK]. So I don't think I need to delve any deeper into it, they did a great job themselves.

But this is what OP doesn't understand. Kishimoto is writing an epic, a love story for the ancient times. Sasuke doing all that and all this is kind of like a test, Naruto's devotion is being put through highs and lows and they must overcome them. It'd be good fanservice to some if Naruto would give up on Sasuke but that'd be pretty boring and writers of the Edo period would be rolling over their graves if Kishimoto did that, HA!

Another element Kishimoto borrowed from Saikaku's literary works is the willingness to commit seppuku for your loved one. We see this with Madara and Hashirama.

In Saikaku's story Nightingale in the Snow two young boys, Naiki and Dannosuke, seek to become the lovers of the samurai Tonai. When Tonai demands proof of their love for him the boys show themselves willing to commit seppuku in front of him, Tonai shocked by their devotion accepts them as lovers.

The scene is similar to Hashirama also being willing to kill himself in front of Madara per his request, hoping Madara would accept him and trust him and his clan. Madara just like Tonai, is shocked by Hashirama's actions and stops him just in time, accepting him and joining his clan with Hashirama's, just like Tonai accepted the boys.

Which leads me to Kishimoto's *actual* finale for the Naruto series, the chapter he had planned and envisioned for 15 years, chapter 698. It's also been discussed by another blog how the theme of the battle Love vs. Power and the panels are a homage to Devilman's own final battle [LINK]. But what interests me in particular about chapter 698 in relation to Saikaku's work is how mutilation of your own body has also been a common trope in Japanese male love literature as proof your devotion.

Kinda like Naruto willing to lose his arm to Sasuke hoping to finally reach his heart (and did!). Sasuke would also go on to refuse a new arm, keeping himself mutilated as a reminder of Naruto's devotion for him.

Something that surprised me at first but then it made total sense to me is the brotherly troth found in Saikaku's works. Usually when a Samurai took a young apprentice, the samurai was old as shit (40-60 years old) and the young boy would be anything between 11-17 years. But there were times when a younger man would engage in a relationship with another man close in age, (although for us in modern times a lot of them would still be considerable age-gaps).

Saikaku for example, wrote the love story between Sazen, a 28 year old and Senjuro, a 17 year old, because of their not so big age-gap, these two lovers considered each other "brothers". They formalize their relationship by having sex, considering it the consummation of their brotherly troth.

When Sazen believes Senjuro had betrayed him for another man he's heartbroken Senjuro might had broken his vows of brotherly love.

So in Edo Japan homosexual relationships between two men close in age were considered similar to that of brothers, or at least brought the men so close they would consider one another brothers. Something very important to keep in mind is that none of these men are actually blood related.

In another of Saikaku's stories They Waited Three Years to Die, Kikui the younger man, considers his lover, Uhei to be his elder brother.

It seems that in this period of time there wasn't a clear divide in the type of love a man might profess another man with whom he is in love and has sex with, and the type of love two blood-related brothers felt for each other. Again, this is not condoning incest, it's more so how they saw male-male romantic relationships as deeply intimate they rivaled the bonds of blood-related people.

I had already made a post on what I believed Kishimoto meant with his whole "more brothers than blood-brothers" deal he has going on with Naruto and Sasuke [LINK]. But now I understand where it comes from. It really has nothing to do with actual incest (or pseudo-incest or spiritual-incest or whatever the fuck antis come up with) but him drawing inspiration from centuries old literary works on homosexual relationships. After all Naruto being set in what's clearly fantasy Edo feudal Japan, it makes sense Naruto the character would have a similar view on his feelings for Sasuke.

Finally, another thing I found very interesting is how in Saikaku's works he always makes sure to let the readers know how beautiful a man (usually the bottom of the relationship) is by comparing his looks to those of a girl. For example, in his story Implicated by his Diamond Crest, Saikaku writes Tannosuke is so beautiful people thought he was a girl when he was seven years old.

So funny how Kishimoto does the same with Haku and Sasuke, such pretty beautiful boys people think they're girls.

Kishimoto is so insane, this old man really thought he could get away with all this, uh? or maybe he was hoping people would notice.

So going back to OP's post linked, what they and most Naruto fans complain about is that Kishimoto writes seeking to emulate the writing of 17th century authors rather than a 21st century one. So a lot of things that for us are toxic and unhealthy, were symbols of passion and loyalty back then and that's how Kishimoto sees them and seeks to express them in his own work. This is why it's so important to keep in mind author's intentionality when engaging with some art or media work. What is Kishimoto trying to say with his manga? what are his references, influences and inspiration? which works parallel his own? There's a reason why every creative is always telling us the media they consume and their favorite art, because we are seeing pieces of them reimagined in their own new work.

I'm really proud that I managed to make this post only considering Japanese works and not adding Western ones for direct parallels between Naruto and other pieces of literature. But this sentiment of wanting to fight alongside your loved one, killing for them and dying by their side is pretty much universal in homosexual literature, especially from the ancient times. You can also find this celebration of homosexual love in Ancient Greek and Roman literature too, Achilles and Patroclus being the most famous example.

The lyrics of Taylor Swift's song You Are In Love, fit pretty well this same sentiment those men centuries ago were trying to describe as well.

Like yeah, imagine you've been sent off war, women stayed in the city and you're left with nothing but the company of the men you're gonna fight alongside and quite possibly die alongside too. Of course you'd love them, in every way a person could possibly love another one, because those men are your brothers.

The screenshots I used for this post are from Ihara Saikaku's book The Great Mirror of Male Love.

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“The only thing that can save a fire from dying and give it even more power, is wind.“ 

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Chapter 695 - Digital colouring by Shueisha

Source: ℜai @ NF http://www.imagebam.com/gallery/fiwsz8lvy9vtk0ynppkymgxrp7uo842n/

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“Sasuke is always in the corner of my mind. Naruto and Sasuke progress as a pair. So when I write about Naruto, I always have to think about Sasuke. They are on opposite sides of the spectrum, like yin and yang.”    Masashi Kishimoto

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Naruto… at this time I recall those words you said here once before. How when you’re with me, you wonder if this is what it feels like to have a brother… That feeling you were talking about… I think now, I finally get it.

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How I feel posting all these Kishimoto interviews