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huskymaine · 1 year

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10 Foreshadowing of Kakashi (and Obito)’s story on Wave arc

Inspired by @professor-of-naruto ‘s tags on this post that I agreed so much and prompted me to make this rare Kishimoto appreciation post. I may have some beef with Kishimoto’s writing choice, but there is a reason why Naruto series is so well-liked. Kakashi is one of character who is very satisfying to rewatch because his whole story is unveiled little by little with some hints on the prior, and Kishimoto delivered it (quite) perfectly.

As Kakashi fan, reading Wave arc after knowing all Kakashi’s past story, feel so different and I noticed many details that would get callback on future chapters. I compiled 10 of them, but probably there are other hints that I miss, feel free to correct me anytime.

1. Heroes’ tale start with a bridge

Probably the most obvious similarities on this list, but still very noteworthy. Wave arc is practically the mission that started Naruto’s journey as hero. In the mission to protect the construction of a bridge, Naruto learned to empathized with Inari, learned about Haku’s philosophy and the reality of shinobi, to then he used his ultimate technique of “Talk-no-Jutsu” for the very first time, a.k.a Naruto’s ability to touch people’s hearts by his words and determined actions, that made him the Savior.

While in the past, on a destruction of a bridge, unfolds a tale that shaped Kakashi’s journey as the formidable hero we all know and admire. Just like Naruto learned many things from Wave arc, Kakashi also got many things from Kakashi Gaiden arc, like his Sharingan, the first time he safely used Chidori, along with his prime philosophy “those who abandon one of their friend are worse than scum”. And in narrative standpoint, both arc and last monologue are treated as “the start of hero’s journey”.

I personally like how Kishimoto drew hopeful atmosphere of Naruto with the finished bridge,

in contrast with bittersweet feeling of Kakashi panel along with the destroyed bridge.

2. “Please understand him. He has his own side of the story”

There are many things that I feel disconnected with Naruto fandom regarding Kakashi’s character interpretation, but perhaps one of the most memorable whip-slash for me is how most Naruto fandom portray Kakashi as this rigid sadistic military teacher. For example, this video summarized fandom’s collective agreement that Minato is the soft nurturing teacher while Kakashi beats his students left and right during training. I was like, yeah Kakashi has his stern moment, but it was started and ended on Bell test. After that, he’s actually a very gentle teacher just like Minato, if not more. And we’ve shown this even since the early Wave arc, when his student Naruto scolded Inari harshly and Kakashi tried to explained Naruto’s circumstances to Inari.

Just like Minato explained the circumstances of Kakashi that made him utter such harsh words to Obito (the difference is in Wave arc Kakashi is the one who took the initiative).

And then both of these gentle senseis tried to instill that, despite those harsh words, Kakashi and Naruto actually care for Obito and Inari in their own way.

(seeing those two panel next to each other made my heart flutters, like boy you really grew up beautifully from a bitter boy to a gentle man)

3. Rule-breaker dads, their tragic death, and their changed sons

@panharmonium already made an outstanding meta about this (must read!), that Kaiza’s tale is eerily so similar with Sakumo’s tragic story, both violent and quite frankly dishonorable death in front of their sons as the result of “disrupted the order of the land”.

And just like Inari ripped his dad’s photo from the family picture, Kakashi also never spoke about his father ever since his suicide. After those tragic deaths, memories of their dads must be so painful for both little Kakashi and Inari.

It was not shown but very likely on that panel above little Kakashi had the exact same face as Inari when he watched Kaiza’s death.

4. “Hero is real, and does exist!”

Our MC Naruto, after hearing Kaiza’s story, felt motivated to train more and be a hero like Kaiza, similar with how Obito validated Sakumo’s heroic action to Kakashi after hearing Sakumo’s story.

It’s up to interpretation, but I think Kakashi rose up a little from his chair when Naruto made his declaration. Considering how much Kakashi noted how similar Naruto with kid Obito on War arc, I wonder if he saw Naruto’s back and reminded him of Obito’s back on this scene

5. Familiar Kyuubi chakra

On Naruto’s first Kyuubi awakening, non-Konoha shinobi like Zabuza and Haku were understandably had no clue about the nature of chakra that they felt. They just sensed that it was appalling and dangerous.

But Kakashi immediately recognized the power, noting how foul and evil it is, how it’s familiar to him, with a little bit denial because it’s Kakashi we are talking about here.

(sometimes I admire Kakashi’s “innocence”. After everything that happen to him, he still had in him to be surprised when the universe decided to throw some shits on him. Bijuu break-out on your first combative mission? Yeah after your friend turned into Bijuu bomb things like that might as well happen in your life, Kakashi)

400+ chapters later, we’ve shown why the chakra felt familiar to him, because Kakashi is one of people who sensed Kurama’s chakra even before the Kyuubi incident, the incident that took his Sensei’s life.

6. Break the mask

Honestly my personal favorite parallel because how neat and detailed Kishimoto made them to the point that I squealed hard when I put these side by side. This one is actually more about premonition of what would happen in later story than parallel from revealed backstory, but the scene when Naruto Kyuubi-punched Haku to break his mask,

has the exact same proposition with the scene of Tobito rasengan unmasking that happen like 583 chapters later, down to the angle, body gesture, even line separation between each panel.

After noticing this, I am like 99% sure that Kishimoto already planned Tobito plot-twist (and the major line of Kakashi’s past team story) on Wave arc.

7. “Who are you?”

Speaking about unmasking, there’s a nice little foreshadowing about Tobito plot twist on Wave arc. This cover is from the early chapter 16, the cover that mark the first Obito appearance on Naruto series. Obito who is one of 2 main Big Bad in War arc that happen like 600+ chapter later (I don’t count Kaguya and Black Zetsu is a background party who shamelessly took credit on the last minutes), but Obito is also the inspiration of Kakashi’s philosophy of valuing comrades, that he passed down to Team 7 on Bell Test.

The said chapter also the first time Haku’s face were shown behind his mask. Haku, who is one of 2 main antagonist on Wave arc, but also the one who gave Naruto his philosophy to be strong for the sake of protecting his important people.

These last two points, along with the clues that Kishimoto threw ever since the introduction of Tobi, should made it obvious that Tobito plot twist was planned since the beginning. I think people who still thought that Tobito is a retcon till this day just can’t understand how clever Kishimoto’s storytelling works.

9. Shinobi 25th rule

The damned rule that literally no one uphold except perhaps Kakashi (which is not healthy at all my man please cry more!) got mentioned first by Sakura on Wave arc.

And it was talked again on Kakashi Gaiden by Kakashi, obviously. While the rule was treated like off-handed trivia on Wave arc, this no-crying rule is like, big deal on Kakashi Gaiden. They even had a chapter titled “Crybaby” to emphasis this point.

The arc also shows that this 25th shinobi rule is apparently applied to all shinobis regardless of their nationality.

(I don’t like this rule at all please tell me someone remove it in the end)

9. Willingly jump in front of Chidori

This point is the content of the post that inspire me, so yeah I add it for good measure, hehe. But seriously, Kishimoto made a very nice (not for Kakashi) parallel between the shocking way (pun not intended) of Haku’s death by throwing himself in front of Kakashi’s chidori,

It’s so similar with the scene of Rin’s death, along with their last word being the name of someone they loved (platonically or romantically) and willing to die for.

There’s also notable change of Kakashi’s attitude on the battle after Haku’s death, from being not really invested to the fight apart from his job and protecting his students,

to take the fight personally and quite possessively, along with gentle treatment toward the deceased Haku.

Haku’s death by his Chidori possibly reminded Kakashi of the devastation that he felt when Rin committed suicide on his hand. Both scenes also has panels focused on Kakashi’s bloodied hand after he did the deed unwillingly.

10.”Do you really mean that?”

After Haku’s corpse got kicked by Gato, Zabuza who was still deep in shinobi mentality nonchalantly acted as if he valued Haku only for the service that the boy could provide to him.

Just like Kakashi in Kakashi Gaiden diminished Rin’s earnest help as “her job”.

Hearing that, Naruto and Obito understandably pissed off and yelled about how both Rin and Haku cared for Kakashi and Obito with their whole hearts, beyond their role as allied shinobi.

Facing those cold words, Naruto also tried to ensure whether Zabuza truly meant for the cruel things he said.

And Obito did the same to Kakashi 100+ chapters later.

This segment also got a nice callback on War arc like 500+ chapters later, but this time from Naruto to Obito.

Yum, me love some parallel, preferably with hundreds of chapter gaps. Just like @mabledonut said, I want to know how Kishimoto thought on how he crafted his story with such big chapter gaps and callbacks because it’s just fantastic.

Tl ; dr = I really wanna see Wave arc from Kakashi’s point of view. Because I can totally see after Team 7 came back to Konoha, Kakashi laid down on his shuriken bed, contemplation how the hell after he finally passed a team and accepted them as his responsibility, the first combative mission that they had turned into A rank mission that push the majority of his button trauma. Then after Kakashi realized that he was stuck with them for the next years and beyond, he was like,

(unbeknownst to him, Team 7 shenanigans is the world’s way to give him a giant therapy program)

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