Naruto: Kishimoto Reveals Why Sasuke And Naruto Lost Their Arms

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This article contains spoilers from the Naruto series.

Summary

  • Kishimoto planned Naruto and Sasuke losing their arms in advance for a pure fist fight.
  • Sasuke wanted a ninja world revolution; Naruto aimed to bring him back to the village.
  • Their final battle led to Naruto’s win, but both losing arms symbolized reconciliation.

From an outside perspective, I’ve witnessed the epic rivalry between Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha that has left a lasting impact on the world of anime and manga. These two characters, each in their unique way, have become cornerstones of this franchise. While Naruto Uzumaki takes the lead as the protagonist, Sasuke Uchiha is not far behind, holding a significant role as the second most prominent character. As per the creator, Masashi Kishimoto, both characters share an equal importance in the narrative; their growth and development are intrinsically connected, so when one character grows stronger, it’s only natural for the other to follow suit.

Throughout the Naruto series, author Kishimoto skillfully developed a dynamic between Sasuke and Naruto that maintained a delicate balance. In essence, these two characters held contrasting ideologies, with Naruto embracing nurturing values such as his role as the heir to the Will of Fire, while Sasuke leaned towards darkness and malevolence in his ambitions. It was inevitable that their paths would cross, especially given their roles as descendants of Indra and Ashura. As the story unfolded, they repeatedly clashed, culminating in a final confrontation at the Valley of the End.

In the end, Naruto emerged victorious, but both ninjas suffered greatly. The price for their battle was immense; they each lost an arm, a loss that holds significant weight. Kishimoto has previously explained the reasoning behind this dramatic event, and it proves to be quite fascinating.

Naruto And Sasuke’s Final Fight In The Ninja War

  • Sasuke Wanted A Revolution Of The Ninja World
  • Naruto Brought Sasuke Back To The Village

From the start of the Naruto series, Naruto and Sasuke were often depicted as rivals, inspiring each other to reach new heights and occasionally dueling against one another. Their most significant confrontation occurred at the Valley of the End towards the end of the initial storyline. At that moment, Sasuke was conflicted upon his brother’s return to Konoha, contemplating departure in pursuit of greater power. Meanwhile, Naruto aimed to keep him from joining the Sound Village and sought to bring him back. Eventually, Naruto managed to catch up with him just as they reached the Valley of the End, marking their first true battle. This epic showdown was one fans would never forget.

I will take you back to the village, even if it breaks every bone in my body! – Naruto Uzumaki

In this confrontation, Naruto finally utilized the Nine-Tails’ power effectively, something he hadn’t done before. On the other hand, Sasuke significantly improved his mastery over both the Sharingan and the powers tied to the Curse Mark. Their clash was nothing short of spectacular, but ultimately, it was Sasuke Uchiha who emerged victorious. Though Naruto couldn’t prevent him from departing the village, he made a firm promise to bring him back someday.

The epic confrontation between Naruto and Sasuke occurred for a second time in the Valley of the End. In this installment, both characters had significantly increased power – Naruto harnessed the might of the Six Paths, while Sasuke acquired the Rinnegan. Their abilities were unparalleled at this stage in the narrative, making their impending collision highly anticipated by fans. Given the significance of this fight, many supporters wagered on Naruto, and indeed, he emerged victorious. However, the cost was immense – Naruto suffered the same fate as Sasuke, losing an arm in the process.

Why Naruto and Sasuke Lost Their Arms

Kishimoto Had Planned This Long Ago

Many fans found it startling when Naruto and Sasuke lost their arms during their ultimate battle. Yet, for the creator, Masashi Kishimoto, this was a crucial move that he had thoughtfully planned well ahead of this climactic fight. Intriguingly, he had actually conceived this development much earlier in the series.

As stated by Kishimoto himself, the battle between Naruto and Sasuke was intended to be a combat devoid of extensive ninjutsu usage. He envisioned it as an unadulterated confrontation between two boys expressing their emotions through each strike. In his view, this conflict should primarily be resolved through physical blows rather than any other means, and he faced criticism from editors and others for this decision, but chose to disregard their advice.

I admit it. I lost. – Sasuke Uchiha

In addition to his statement, Kishimoto explained that he deliberately made Naruto and Sasuke lose their primary fighting arms in this fight. Fans recall that Naruto’s dominant arm was his right, while Sasuke favored his left. Each character launched their ultimate attacks from their strong arms, only to lose them. Kishimoto intended this as a nod to an early memory in the narrative where they crossed fingers to form the Seal of Reconciliation after conflicts. Previously, they could always exchange a peace sign following battles, but here, Kishimoto wanted to show that they couldn’t cross fingers at all due to their missing arms. However, he creatively used the statues of Hashirama and Madara positioned behind them to create the seal instead. This was an effective touch as both characters represent Indra and Asura, similar to Naruto and Sasuke.

In essence, this statue served as a symbol of reconciliation not only between Naruto and Sasuke, but also between Madara and Hashirama, and an eternal truce for Indra and Asura, two entities who had been at odds for countless generations. This thoughtful detail was crafted by Kishimoto, who had envisioned this scene since the very beginning of the story in Part 1. This planning goes back quite a distance, demonstrating that Kishimoto may have planned for Naruto and Sasuke to lose their arms much earlier in the narrative.

Indeed, eventually, Naruto acquired a new arm thanks to Hashirama’s cells, whereas Sasuke opted to persist without one, possibly because his path towards redemption was only starting at the conclusion of the Naruto series. To this day, Sasuke bears the weight of his past deeds, and it adds a poignant element to his character. This choice serves as a testament that even long after their battle, Sasuke continues to view himself as a shinobi striving for atonement.

You can find Naruto easily on MangaPlus and the Shonen Jump app for reading. By choosing this platform, fans are directly supporting the author by accessing the official version.

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2025-01-06 02:34