Okay we all know that I love Five Kage Summit arc but what's interesting is about what happened NEXT after Naruto and Sasuke talked under that bridge. Naruto went ahead and told his friends that he'd handle Sasuke alone and naturally their reactions were how can you expect us to agree with that, we can't give in to your stubbornness, and it's pretty much an issue for the village and Naruto is like nope I'm not being stubborn and Kiba really called him out like thought you'd give us the details but I did not expect it to be this, we all made up our minds to kill Sasuke then Shikamaru really hit the nail in the coffin like you say that you'll take Sasuke alone when you're actually planning on protecting him. Naruto is like no intentions to protect Sasuke here and Neji is like Sasuke was weak at the time so why didn't you take him out and Sakura defended Naruto by saying that Madara was there then Kiba says you're a hero dude you can take him down like you did with Pain and Naruto sullenly replied that he wouldn't be able to defeat Sasuke the way that he currently is and then Choji is like what is it that you found out then Naruto fucking proceeds NOT TO EXPLAIN FURTHER and persistently says that no one should take Sasuke on and HE'S THE ONLY ONE THAT CAN FIGHT HIM as if that explanation would satisfy everyone (it doesn't) and keeps on giving them the runaround as he would tell them when the time comes. Even Sakura who was there when it happened has been mentally deliberating about what's Naruto has been hiding.

Now the interesting part is Naruto could've just explained WHY. Neji would've understood where he's speaking from as he also dealt with darkness, Shikamaru would at least try to see his point in sheer rationality making the others see his perspective but HE DOESN'T. It was a choice. Might be speaking out of the box here but with the way that everyone collectively decided to kill Sasuke behind his back, it was like a slap in the face realization for Naruto that no one really understands Sasuke like he does. And no amount of explanation would convince them otherwise--he wasn't exactly protecting Sasuke but he won't let them kill him either because killing him won't save Sasuke from his hatred. Naruto never intended to exist in a world where Sasuke dies and he made that clear in the bridge. People around them would look at their relationship like they're fucking insane but what's amusing about it is they never explained their bond to others--how can you even put into words the connection that transcends even the ninja system that fosters hatred and pain? And how can you expect the same people that unconsciously adheres to the same system to understand that?

isn't it crazy that sasuke chose to use chidori every single time naruto uses rasengan even though we know that wind beats lightning and uchiha's natural affinity is fire

aside from the fact that everyone can't figure out the depth of naruto and sasuke's bond, it's genuinely so funny that on the surface, they know just how much those boys influence each other because kakashi openly says that naruto's driving force is sasuke then obito says that naruto was meant to be the pawn to test sasuke. it even came to the point that all you need to do is say their name and the other one would fucking react. orochimaru perfected that tactic and triggered feral naruto. they might not understand that bond but they know how it works on surface level. and they take advantage of it.

I will never stop talking about Five Kage Summit arc. It's my favorite because everything is happening simultaneously and Naruto doesn't catch a single break.

Starting off, everyone at Konoha treats him like a hero after saving the village from Pain and he deals with the conflicting feelings brought upon by the shift of treatment that he received. He finally got the acknowledgement he aspired for but he couldn't revel in it.

Next, the news of Sasuke being involved with Akatsuki and the Raikage pretty much deciding to get rid of him. What is Naruto's course of action? Meeting up with the Raikage and begging to spare his friend.

Then, hearing the truth about the Uchiha massacre after Obito paid them a little visit at the inn. Adding more cherries on top is Sakura confessing that she loves him as a way to let go of the promise made three years prior (Naruto retorts that saving Sasuke is a personal choice and he'd do it regardless of the promise) and Gaara told him about what transpired in the summit, that Sasuke can no longer be saved, and to think about what he can do for his friend. The last straw is definitely Sai snitching and informing everyone that Sakura plans to kill Sasuke.

Naruto going through a panic attack, too overwhelmed with the realization that everyone wants his precious person dead and they don't even try to understand him (but let's be real, only Naruto can understand Sasuke) and that's not even the most dramatic part.

Enter Sasuke: batshit blind, going off the rails unhinged, driven mad by hatred, still processing the truth and grieving about Itachi. Abandoned his personal policy of not killing aimlessly, not even willing to hear out Sakura or Kakashi but he listened to Naruto. They talked in their gay mind plane and Naruto went ahead and really said with his full chest that every single action that Sasuke did is valid, he knew the truth, and he'd carry Sasuke's burden and they'd die together. Also made a promise on the freaking spot that he'd handle all of his hatred and to not kill anyone in Konoha, then Sasuke kept that promise. He is unstoppable at that point, mind focusing on getting revenge but after that conversation with Naruto, his priority changed from destroying Konoha to fighting Naruto.

An unpopular discussion about Sasuke in this arc is the emptiness that he felt after achieving his goal. Dealing and processing grief. It left an impact to the point that he awakened his Mangekyou, coming on terms with the confusion about his feelings regarding Itachi after witnessing his death. Obito definitely used it to his advantage to manipulate Sasuke. I might explore the parallels shared with Naruto in a separate post.

I couldn't get enough of this arc and I think we wouldn't go through tough times if Naruto just said I love you. Lmao.

five kage summit arc in a nutshell

everyone: sasuke is a criminal, he has no future

naruto: can't help it then, I'd bear his hatred and die together with him

I find it fascinating that Rasengan is technically an incomplete jutsu that heavily relies on shape transformation (changes the form and movement) and the complete version of it was made possible by Naruto through adding nature transformation (changes the attribute of chakra), specifically, Wind Release: Rasenshuriken.

I know this is an incredibly small detail but we have seen the lethal effects of Rasenshuriken (to the point that Tsunade even warned Naruto about using the jutsu as it is harmful on cellular levels not just to the enemy but also himself). It contains microscopic wind blades, too many to count even with Sharingan. My point is, Naruto is presented with obvious opportunities to use a powerful jutsu to stop Sasuke, especially in VOTE2 but he did not use it. It's a conscious choice and an intentional decision. He will do everything to stop Sasuke but he draw the line at killing the precious person he's been chasing for years.

listen I don't care about top and bottom discourse because as long as naruto and sasuke fuck each other, I will definitely consume that content no questions asked

sasuke is a yapper whenever he's with naruto I will die on this hill

naruto blank period silly headcanons that no one asked

somehow internet became a thing and the OG gens spent the remainder of their 20s oversharing on the internet instead of marrying each other and having kids

online shopping and tiktok exists (for shit and giggles)

you can't convince me that lee isn't participating in every tiktok dance trend and dragging the rest of the boys with him

kiba and suigetsu are trolls that have beef in social media but are dating irl don't even ask how they got together I just know they're menaces and a force to be reckoned with

ino would do those get ready with me videos or something...most likely to post a video cutting her bangs

naruto getting multiple parcels because let's be real he'd resort to retail therapy at some point

sakura would do those funny doctor and/or nurse skits except it's her nursing a hangover tsunade with shizune

everyone would ask for neji's hair routine let's be real

naruto and sasuke would do that best friend trend on nart's account and it's them waxing poetics for each other (the rest of konoha populace just want them to DATE ALREADY)

everyone collectively canceling orochimaru and the only one that defends him is kabuto who gets canceled too

sasuke has one post and it's a ten minute video of him going on a tangent about the fascist shinobi system with images of the council with red X on their faces and naruto holds it at the background proudly (still the highest liked video in the platform)

choji would do food reviews and he'd earn a living for it yup yup

kakashi and gai dominates the old men yaoi tag don't even ask how (the second one is kakashi and iruka)

my sub-par sense of humor gets so twisted to the point that I thrive making naruto and sasuke old men yaoi angst and finding songs to fit my sick scenario

The thing is, Sasuke, over time, was healing. Spending more time with Naruto by his side slowly healed him--and Orochimaru noticed this so he exploited Sasuke's survivor guilt through the curse mark then Gaara had to reiterate his purpose, and Itachi reminded him grimly through a genjutsu that left him mentally scarred.

Sasuke himself was aware of this and he perceived it as weakness but at the same time, in VOTE1 he says, it's too late, Naruto. It's already too late. The implication I get from this is Sasuke second guessing his decision and he was waiting for someone to give him one reason to stay and talk him out of it but they were not on the same page anymore. He was struggling with his innate goodness as it always surfaces whenever he's with Naruto, moreover, Naruto himself is the reminder that he cares, he is kind, and he is a being whose affection runs deep.

I realize another implication of this flashback aside from Naruto knew about Sasuke’s hatred right from the start. It could also mean that Sasuke never looked at Naruto with hatred specifically directed at him. And it speaks volumes because Sasuke had been consumed with hatred and his desire for revenge but he will never look at Naruto that way, he never shunned him like the rest of the village did. Sasuke, with trauma and survivor guilt, is the only sense of normalcy that Naruto encountered. They act and bicker like actual twelve year old boys and honestly, it’s a freaking breather from all the suffering they went through. If someone treated you like an actual person after an entire village clearly harboring ill will wants nothing to do with your existence, you’d chase them consistently for years and save them from their own darkness because they managed to save you from yours.

Presenting the SNL sketch that got @lilypheria and I laughing till our muscles hurt because it reminds us way too much of Naruto and Sasuke. Forgive my poor editing on this, I am not an editor by all means but enjoy!

Kurama and Sukuna watching their respective vessels interact with their homosexual shounen rival and say silly goofy gay statements™️ like carrying burdens and dying together and/or not affording to die because the other will kill them if they die again.

the 18+ sannin headcanon that no one asked but have been definitely discussed with my dear friend

Tsunade and Orochimaru ends up as drinking buddies after the war and casually talking about how they drunk fucked in the past and Naruto who happens to join their drinking session is like WHAT. Astonished blond guy seek out Sasuke to tell this story and bond over the trauma when Sasuke says nonchalantly yeah Orochimaru is the type of drunk that brags--I heard that the best head he's ever gotten was from Jiraiya and Naruto is lowkey dying over the fact that the sannin are literally a throuple.

reminding everyone that the third hokage and the jonins witnessed naruto and sasuke’s accidental kiss because they were watching in that crystal ball