#akatsuki meta

[mixelation]

I’ve been wondering. What is actually keeping the akatsuki members stay in the akatsuki and not just defecting? For kisame and itachi it makes sense, but with people like sasori and kakuzu, who you can assume have been missing nin for a long time, why don’t they just up and leave? What’s making them stay on and work with the circus that the akatsuki is and listen to pein?

I think this question is one that Akatsuki fans largely actively avoid delving into, because it's very frustrating to answer. Like I'm not even 100% sure why Deidara can't just leave whenever he wants if he hates it so much. I mean, yes, in theory he could end up with a bunch of very dangerous people hunting him down.... but also the in-canon reason we seem to get is "he's bound by high school rules of combat bc Itachi was mean to him." So I think there must be parts that Deidara does enjoy, because he sticks around even after it gets both his arms blown off and the one other artist ninja dies and they give him an annoying idiot to work with.

If you want something vaguely canon, there's this video which goes into how different members were recruited. It is actually, as far as I can tell, a bunch of cut-scenes from a video game, so it is what i would call "canon only if you like it." But it's animated well and some of the characters do state reasons for why they go with Akatsuki. I'm not going to rewatch it right this second, but for example, I think Sasori says something like he wants to meet interesting people and see if he can find new art. (He finds Deidara. YOU'RE WELCOME.) Just keep in mind that because it's video game cut scenes, every encounter is set up to be the lead-up to a fight, and then there's a fade to black for the actual fight because that's the part where you're supposed to be playing the game.

For me I think there's multiple reasons, and different characters are going to weigh them different in their motivations:

It's basically a missing-nin union. It's a shit show and Kakuzu might kill you at any given moment, but there's steady work and theoretically protections from hunter-nin, and also even if your coworkers are assholes, you can call in their expertise. I think this was part of the pitch to Hidan in the video game movie: yeah he's immortal, but that doesn't mean he's immune to being imprisoned or sealed away or blown up and buried in a hole. Even immortal dudes benefit from having a partner.

Opportunities to do interesting things. I think several characters felt their talents were under-appreciated in their hometowns, but Akatsuki encourages people to be the best horrible monsters they can be. Oh, you want to blow up a castle? We have three jobs for that, AND you'll get a paycheck out of it. Also: even missing-nin need a sense of fulfillment. Like Kakuzu has gotten along fine by himself for decades, but I bet he secretly finds managing Akatsuki's finances to be satisfying.

Meet interesting people! You're immortal? So are THREE OTHER PEOPLE HERE-- Oh, you're into art? Guess who we just recruited--

All of these characters grew up in ninja villages, so I think they at least subconsciously perceive this sort of vaguely structured mission-system as how work is supposed to be done. And I think this cultural aspect of it means that they're predisposed to at least kinda sorta agree to some baseline rules, because that's just what you do. So, in my personal take on Deidara, I think he hated the structure and rigid rules of Iwa, but he's not against getting paid to blow shit up, and Akatsuki is a lot more loose with mission parameters so his art isn't completely stifled. He likes having cash to buy art supplies and hot meals, yeah. On the flip side I think Sasori liked having a lot of rules and structure; he just didn't like when the rules restricted his art, or when social rules meant he was "going against human decency even for a ninja" smh. So I think he'd actually be pretty willing to compromise certain things for the sake of buying into the ninja union, as long as he could still be churning out art.

One thing I think would be interesting to explore is what the consequences of Orochimaru defecting are. Because it seems like there never were any consequences for him, but no one looked at his example and went, "Oh, so I can just leave at any time." Maybe instead it had a unifying force, like EVERYONE is pissed they can't hunt him down and skin him alive. Deidara is like "oh, he just.... lost a fight to Itachi and left....?" and Sasori is like, "Yes, and now if any one of us multiple S-rank threats find him, it's on sight." And Deidara is like: "Well, only a COWARD would flee like that anyway, yeah."

[thebloodredraven]

"He's more of a brother to me than you ever were to him."

- Naruto, talking to Itachi about Sasuke

I'm rewatching Naruto as a whole because I'm introducing it to my friend, and I like to watch it every few years as I gain new life experience to get a new perspective of something I've been watching since I was a little kid. I've never finished the series past the very beginning of the war arc, though (working on it!).

We're up to the Tenchi Bridge mission in Shippuden and I have some thoughts on how remarkably similar Naruto and Itachi are, specifically when it comes to their shared trait of unintentionally dehumanizing Sasuke and viewing him as a possession, and an object to obtain, rather than a person with his own autonomy and free will. I also kind of wanna go into how Kakashi and Sakura (kinda) were probably the only people to love him as he was but still ultimately failed him, and how all of them drove him away.

Disclaimer: These are all my own opinions and you're under no obligation to agree with any of it. If any of what I have to say bothers you, you're more than welcome to exit the post at any time and ignore me instead of sending hate mail and leaving heinous comments. Anything you have to say in response can be said respectfully. Thanks!

Words: 2.3k

In episode 41 of Naruto Shippuden, there's a scene where Naruto is in his own mind as he's transforming into the Nine Tailed Fox (Kurama). In this scene, he sees an apparition of Sasuke walking away from him and when he tries to go after him, water floods all around him and he can't get to him. He's falling into his own darkness and giving in to Kurama's influence.

During this scene, he says, "I am weak, so my words don't reach [Sasuke]. Because I am weak, I can't win his recognition. So, whatever happens I must become stronger so that the bond I've finally forged will not be severed. So that Sasuke won't sever the connection with me."

It can be said that the entire reason Naruto is so obsessed with getting Sasuke back is because, as he's stated himself multiple times, he can't confidently fulfill his goal of becoming Hokage if he can't even save his friend from darkness. His entire self-worth rests in the validity that others provide him because he was deprived of that his entire life, and he represses his emotions to the extreme.

It's why he's irrational and dangerous to be around and difficult to work with; it's why he foregoes any plans or strategies people have on almost every single mission he's been sent on from the time he became a ninja till the war and is always the first to attack in these scenarios; it's why he's willing to start giving into the power of Kurama until Yamato tells him how he injured Sakura and how he needed to prove his strength with his OWN power: his need to prove himself to others and get that validation he craves trumps over anything, and anyone, else.

When it comes to Itachi, he told Sasuke that in order to become strong enough to kill him he needed to sever his bonds with those closest to him.

Opposite of Naruto, Itachi kept Sasuke at a distance at all times because of his own goals to rid the world of war and get into a position where he can render ninja obsolete (via Itachi Retsuden). His tunnel vision when it came to his personal goals caused him to disregard how his actions affected other people because he saw it as a means to an end, including slaughtering his own clan and becoming a double spy in the Akatsuki.

When Naruto and Itachi run into each other during the Gaara Retrieval arc, they get to talking about Sasuke.

When Itachi asks why Naruto is so obsessed with Sasuke, Naruto replies with the quote that leads into this post.

I was talking to my friend about Naruto's possessive nature when it comes to Sasuke and that led into be thinking about how Itachi also viewed Sasuke.

I came to the conclusion that neither of these people viewed Sasuke as someone capable of having his own autonomy, his own philosophy, and as someone deserving of having his own personal goals and feelings recognized. Sasuke was always within his full right to end up as hateful and as angry and as hurt as he was, but because Naruto and Itachi care more about their own goals and their own proximity to Sasuke, they don't view him as someone that can make his own decisions; that's why I feel Naruto had such a negative reaction when Orochimaru reminded Naruto that Sasuke came to him of his own free will after Naruto was screaming at him to "give him back." Even after three years, he cannot stomach or accept the fact that Sasuke made the choice to leave him, and it pushes him further into his obsession.

Sasuke made his own decision to go to Orochimaru because he felt like no one else around him genuinely tried to understand what he was going through. They, essentially, just wanted him to let go of his pain and keep living a "happy" life with them. How could they understand when they view him in such a way? Orochimaru was up front with his intentions and his plans for Sasuke from the very beginning. Yes, he was manipulated by the curse mark, but Orochimaru wouldn't have chosen him to begin with if he didn't see what was already in Sasuke.

He was very up front with the fact that he needed Sasuke's body in order to continue living as a powerful being and find immortality. He told Sasuke what the game plan was and knew that in order to get what he wanted, he needed to give Sasuke what everyone else had denied him: a choice. He saw a gifted child filled with jealousy and hatred, which was something fostered by his need to compete with Itachi and Naruto and gave him exactly what he wanted.

Sasuke's entire clan was annihilated by the one person he sought the most validation from. After that heartbreak, he was forced to live in that same Uchiha compound all alone.

While he was dealing with the trauma of that, every single person around him was idealizing him and treating him in a way that probably drove him further into isolation: he was constantly bombarded with girls that were crushing on him and wanting him for his talents and good looks, and the adults around him saw him as the perfect student that didn't need too much attention, so no one paid attention to his needs outside of what he provided in skill. Even though they very much provided the validation and attention he was seeking from his family, no one really bothered to see him.

Naruto was seemingly the only person that actively saw what he was going through because he also knew what that loneliness looked like, but his rivalry with him mattered more than that connection. That's why physical fighting is their form of intimacy. People propped him up on a pedestal from the time he was a small child and when that position was threatened by the least talented kid in his class, it threw him into a spiral (which is another topic).

Getting back to Itachi, he never saw Sasuke as his own person at any point in his life. I know he loved him in his own way. In some ways, he was the somewhat attentive father Sasuke should have had.

But Itachi was not always a good brother. Not in the least.

He always saw him as someone to protect, to coddle, to keep ignorant, keep below him because he subconsciously did not want Sasuke to become a shinobi and go through the same trauma he did (Itachi Retsuden). Eventually, that was no longer an option and that's when the distance happened (in conjunction to what was going on in his own life as a tool that others wanted to use for their own goals).

After Itachi slaughtered the clan, he reinforced Sasuke's lack of autonomy by giving him his own means to an end.

Itachi saw Sasuke as a tool -- a means to his own long, drawn-out suicide.

Naruto viewed Sasuke as the ultimate validation to his own goal to become Hokage.

Neither of them saw Sasuke for who he was or who he wanted to be -- for who he could have been.

I'll even add Sakura to this mix because she has a complicated relationship with him as well. She did end up with him and was his friend before anything, but she’s idolized him to the point of nausea since she was a little girl. She was obsessed with becoming the object of his affection. She had an unhealthy amount of loyalty to him just like Naruto (even though I'd argue she wasn't nearly as bad as Naruto was). She changed her own opinions of something to cater to what he thought so she could seem more favorable to him. For most of their childhood, she dehumanized him and didn't see him as anything other than a love interest for herself.

However.

You can see her slowly taking off the rose-colored glasses in the first part of Naruto during the Chuunin exams at two major points: when she chastised him for acting like a coward and freezing up while Orochimaru beat Naruto, and when she finally cut her hair in the middle of battle (context: she heard that Sasuke loved long hair and that's why she always kept it long).

Beyond that, she actually paid attention to his well-being and noticed when something was wrong or when he was hiding something and brought her concerns up in a non-aggressive manor. At the time, he was aggressive and agitated by her actions, and he reacts as such. Genuine concern is hard to come by for him, so how was he supposed to react?

But clearly, he recognized it and appreciated it because it's been confirmed through his Japanese VA AND English VA AND the novels that Sasuke was starting to fall in love with Sakura long before he realized it and was full of guilt when he left her on that bench.

When the time came to acknowledge that he was an internationally recognized terrorist and killer, the life drained from her face because she realized she had to put her feelings to the side and do what needed to be done.

Because she was willing to accept the reality of who he was and see him for what he'd become. And even though she was unsuccessful, she took steps to have Naruto forget about Sasuke and kill him herself.

At this point, he's learned to use the same tactics people used on him his entire life: only keep people around you that further your own goals. This time, he was in charge. When he formed his own gang, he encountered that dehumanizing behavior again when Karin constantly threw herself at him and practically begged to sleep with him. It was only after Itachi died and he decided to take down the Leaf that he was able to finally have a goal of his own that was solely for him.

I won't go into it too much because I'm already pushing 2k words, but it's worth noting that Sasuke was pushed to do crime because that was the only period of time where he was allowed to make his own decisions and have his own autonomy enough to pursue his OWN goals before that was swiftly taken away by The Akatsuki to....you guessed it, further their own goals.

Sasuke has never been the idol the people in proximity to him saw him as, from any person's point of view. Not Naruto, not Itachi, not Sakura, not Orochimaru, no one. Obito may have been the one closest to seeing Sasuke as he was, but he immediately took advantage of him.

They all wanted to possess him and obtain him in different ways, and one of the reasons I love his dynamic with Kakashi so much is because Kakashi did grow up very similarly to Sasuke, except his own dad died of his own accord and Sasuke’s father was taken away from him.

One of the main ways Kakashi has always been able to connect to Sasuke was the fact that throughout his life he’s had to watch every single person he’s ever cared about die around him. And for a while he was that cold detached person that didn’t want to keep up with friends, didn’t want to be around people, minded his business, and he was mean to everybody.

The whole reason he gave Sasuke that speech about choosing his own path right before he went to Orochimaru was because he intimately understood what he was going through emotionally.

Naruto and Sakura can say they get where he’s coming from, but Kakashi is really the only person able to empathize with what Sasuke was going through. And if Kakashi hadn’t been consistently sent out on missions and was able to take care of his kids the way he was supposed to, there was a slight chance Sasuke could have still healed from his trauma even with the manipulation of the curse mark. 

People forget that Kakashi very well could have ended up on the same path as Sasuke, even without Orochimaru’s influence, because he went through some very dark things. He had every reason to be a very dark character, but he didn’t.

He ultimately failed when he spoke to Sasuke as a soldier and not the traumatized child that was acting out on his pain.

In summary, Sasuke only went to the lengths that he did because of the people around him treating him as a possession to keep or as an object to obtain rather than treating him as an actual person. Sasuke goes through some of the most dehumanizing relationships, and I think that’s what irritates me so much about Naruto as a character.

Because he treats Sasuke, and he talks about him, like he’s a possession to obtain and because someone else “has” him, he has to get him back because Sasuke is his and his only. This extends to other characters around him, as well.

That lack of autonomy was what drove Sasuke away because he very clearly wanted to be seen as his own person but no one around him was willing to do that because they saw him as a means to their own goals. It's why Sasuke developed a "do you really think I give a fuck about what you want" personality trait.

All that being said, do I think they all genuinely loved him? Yes.

Ultimately, we have to remember that these are all small-town children with very little experience of the outside world and that the adults around him grew up in the same conditions because that's what the politics of that world demanded.

I have my opinions about the manga's imperialist propaganda, use of child soldiers, Sasuke's emotional development and how people chronically misunderstand complex PTSD, fascism, queer baiting, etc. but that's another post. Several others, actually.

Believe it or not, I had to shave down a lot of what I originally had in order to keep this relatively short LMAO

If y'all read all of this, THANK YOU! I rarely ever flesh out my thoughts about this show like this and it felt refreshing to get off my chest. Feel free to send me DMs and RESPECTFULLY speak your own mind in the comments/reblogs! ♥

[stardustcoma]

they served cunt💅🏻✨

[nardo-headcanons]

Sunagakure Worldbuilding Headcanon

My last post on Kirigakure made me think of some Sunagakure Headcanons. Here they are! This is very long, but I hope you enjoy!

People and Culture

The wind realm’s population is rather decentralized, so there are a lot of subcultures, accents and customs that have developed over time. The people of Sunagakure are very intelligent and hard workers and don’t take shit from anyone. They value their independence but also recognize the use of unionizing to achieve their goals. They use rather few words to communicate amongst each other in public, but in private they can be very poetic. Also, they secretly don’t mind the stereotype of tumbleweeds rolling around everywhere in the village, because they can relate. To outsiders, they seem secretive and mysterious, but they are in reality very friendly and hospitable. Once you make a friend in Suna, you’ve made a friend for life. Gift giving, especially in the form of food or other self-made goods is always appreciated. Suna citizens are hopeless romantics, and most soap operas and sappy romance books are produced there. They love to make music and sing together. Most instruments originate from the wind realm and its citizens proudly call themselves the creators of all music in the shinobi world. The wind realm is the country with the richest culture in the shinobi world.

Politics

Recently, Suna has been plagued by an economic crisis, as the wind realm daimyo has preferably hired Konoha shinobi to get missions done. This has raised the distrust in the wind realm government and made the people more loyal to the kazekage than the daimyo. The shinobi have started to prioritize the mission over the lives of the shinobi fulfilling it, however they make sure to give their teammates a quick and painless death if they get into that situation.

Clothing and Cosmetics

Most Suna Shinobi wear long sleeves and cover their head, to protect their skin from sun damage. It’s also very common to cover your face in layers of fabric, as the Suna sandstorms can be ruthless. Light brown, grey, white and black are the most popular colors, as they allow you to blend in with your surroundings and not get detected by enemy shinobi. All people, including kuniochis, keep their hair rather short, cover it or tie them together in some kind of way. There are a lot of unique hairstyles to deal with the strong winds, as can be seen by Temari, who wears four ponytails because the winds would otherwise just destroy her hairstyle if she wore just two. For festive occasions though, Suna clothes are vibrant and colorful, with very intricate details. The most preferred fabric choices are silk and cotton. Before the recession, Suna also had a booming beauty industry, with the best moisturizers, sunblock and body wash originating from there. There is an ongoing feud between the wind realm and the water realm about who has the better skincare products. Wind realm citizens are known to always smell good and take great care of themselves. They use bidets and shower frequently. The women are rumored to be the most beautiful in the shinobi world, however many of them have to deal with orientalism and exoticism from foreigners.

Nature

Flora

A fact that a lot of foreigners get wrong is that Sunagakure is covered completely in desert wasteland. Quite a bit of vegetation is savannah and what we call mediterranean. Still a rather hot country, it is characterized by agonizingly hot summers and barely existing winters. The actual deserts of the wind realm are sprinkled with oases, around which many settlements have formed. The terrain around those oases is very fertile and most of the country’s produce is grown there. Sandstorms are not a rarity here and during these storms there are self-imposed curfews as Suna citizens know that once you get buried in a sandstorm, there is no way anyone will find you buried under all that sand. Only a few nomadic families actually travel and live outside of the oases.

Fauna

The deserts that surround Suna are filled to the brim with the most dangerous, savage animals known to the shinobi realm. The snakes especially must not be underestimated, as their venom can kill a grown shinobi within minutes. Many marionette wielders therefore use it against their enemies. The rivers of the wind realm are full of crocodiles and freshwater fish. The fennec fox is seen as a symbol of good luck and suna nin believe their mission will be a success when they see one. Aside from other cats of prey like lions, cheetahs and leopards. Other mammals include hyenas, hyraxes, macaques, gazelles, oryxes, camels, hedgehogs and sheep. When it comes to rodents, you can find desert rats, porcupines, armadillos, meerkats and gundis. Suna also has the largest spider population in the shinobi world, and you often must check your toilet and shower for any venomous spiders hanging out there. At night you can see bats flying through the sky. The wind realm sea is a home to many kinds of saltwater fish and sometimes you can visit the dolphins, that are particularly friendly to children. Mosquito stings are nasty here, and many diseases, for example those that we call malaria and dengue fever are endemic here. Wind realm citizens have a natural immunity against them and sleep them off in a day, but there are vaccinations available for foreigners.

Food

Stew and other slow cooked gravy dishes The absolute staple of any Suna nin are stews. They’re elaborate and take the whole day to cook. Every family has its own recipes (and thinks theirs is the best) it’s useful to just cut up veggies and meat, and then slow cook it until it’s done. Stews made in Suna include gumbo, adobo, maafe, and many curries. Spices Wind realm citizens have the greatest spice tolerance in the shinobi world. The greatest variety of spices is produced there, from cumin, fennel seeds, coriander seeds, pepper, chilli, cardamom, cinnamon, nutmeg, bay leaves, tumeric and a myriad of other herbs and spices. Suna food is very spicy for two reasons: many spices they use have a disinfecting effect, and the accelerated production of sweat helps cool down the body. Most spices are sold dried to increase shelf life. Many outsiders travel to Suna to acquire spices directly from the source, thinking they’ll get them for cheap, however, the vendors charge foreigners at a hefty margin. Sunagakure is the greatest exporter of all things spices.

Legumes Legumes play a very important role in the local eating pyramid. They serve as a satiating source of carbohydrates and protein. Beans and lentils can be turned into tofu, stew, mashed or baked, peanuts are often used as a base for stew and sauces in the form of peanut butter. Roasted and salted peanuts are a popular snack in Sunagakure. The biggest buyer of Suna’s exported legumes is Iwagakure.

Cassava This starchy root is soaked and then cooked for a long time to make mash, in stews, or fried. Cassava flour also serves as a gluten free flour alternative and many Suna nin use it to thicken sauces and stews. There’s also tapioca starch which is exported into other countries. Olives In the moderate climate regions, many olive trees are grown, which are then used to make olive oil, the preferred fat source of Suna’s people. Dairy It can often be purchased from nomad families, who sell it in the form of milk, yoghurt, kefir, butter and cheese. The preferred dairy variant is goat’s dairy; however, sheep and cow’s dairy are also available. There’s a possibility that the concept of fermenting milk to make yoghurt and kefir was once brought in by Kiri immigrants, however most wind realm citizens are too proud to give this possibility any thought or think it’s just a myth. Meat Just like dairy, meat can be purchased from several families that travel though the wind realm, or on bazars. It is dried often to increase shelf life. Sweets The best chocolate comes from here. The wind realm has a few islands where cocoa beans are produced, and Suna chocolate is known globally for its rich, earthy, fruity taste. Suna Nin are also the only people that regularly take coffee with them during missions. Most foreigners don’t like the bitter taste, but Sunagakure’s shinobis have realized that the caffeine within coffee beans is useful during missions where you must stay aware for long times. The most common sweetener is cane sugar and used to make coffee candy. Wind realm citizens don’t discriminate, and even children are allowed to have them. Another sweet food, especially popular amongst children are dates. On special occasions, Baklava are offered to the guests or given as a gift. Most foreigners find them way too sweet, but just can’t say no because they recognize the effort and craftsmanship that went into making them. The most popular fruit in Suna are: pomgranate, various kinds of citrus fruits, apples, grapes and green almonds. Ripened almonds are used to make marzipan, which is another one of Suna's culinary prides. Those who try persipan, a localized version from Kirigakure, think that it is a lesser version of their beloved treat.

[oneforblu]

yona of the dawn 264 thoughts

as always, this chapter was insanely well written. chapter 263 was already "creepy" enough with the dragon gods pretending to be the dragon warriors, but this chapter made things so much scarier.

the dragon gods making a hak clone just to make yona stay was so infuriating. all of her loved ones being used as puppets to keep her stuck in the chalice while yona fights for her way out was so heartbreaking to read.

yona is incredibly resilient, and even when facing the gods themselves, she doesn't back down. she loves the dragons more than anything and has already decided she won't leave them behind no matter what. it's what king hiryuu wanted, and yona will carry his dream out.

hearing the dragon gods say yona is going to the heavens brought me to tears. although she's willing to sacrifice herself to save her loved ones, it's another thing entirely to come face to face with the idea she will never see them again. her terrified face as she falls through the flowers is a beautifully haunting scene. the art and scenery are gorgeous, but the reality of the situation is awful. she has so much to live for and do, and yet it seems like there's no chance for her happiness at the moment. she was given a chance to save them but at the cost of her own life? i don't think she ever thought a moment like this could happen. after all, she always envisioned her reuniting with the dragons and live together again.

finally, seeing the dragons again made me so happy to know that they ARE, in fact, alive, but the scene after made me so anxious. becoming humans at the expense of yona's life isn't something nobody wants. even if zeno is willing to do anything to die, he says he needs to bring yona back to the real world. doesn't matter if zeno no longer sees himself as a part of yona's dragon family; at the end of the day, he will protect her.

zeno's face in this panel tells me he knows what happened to yona. this is one of the most anxiety-inducing cliffhangers we had in a while. i believe the series will end with everyone together, but i have no idea how yona will make it out of this. i'm assuming that zeno might put himself in a life or death situation to bring yona back. or perhaps it's yona herself that has to come back to earth.

this chapter was so insane but so amazing. i'm so excited and very scared for what comes next.

[not-so-terrible]

so Itachi and Kisame's names can kinda match

Like most characters outside Kiri, Itachi's name is written with katakana rather than kanji for weasel 鼬. But in Japanese, tiger sharks are called weasel sharks - itachizame (鼬鮫), with the first kanji from the meaning of Itachi's name and the second from Kisame's. While they're from a different family, another kind of tiger shark comes up in their meeting, as the description of shark pups devouring each other in the womb matches the otherwise docile sand tiger sharks.

And then there's Kisame's given name. While the kanji used are for demon shark, using different kanji, 樹雨 'kisame' is a noun. It's used for when fog settles around tree leaves and falls like rain. So a Mist Ninja finding their place alongside Leaf Ninja through the Rain Village/Akatsuki is literally summed up in his name

While being the only team to share ring placement and nail polish colour, the kanji on them, Vermilion and South, also match. Many of the Akatsuki rings are connected to heavenly beings in some way, but Itachi's, Konan's, and Deidara's are part of a set of Four Auspicious beasts - The Vermilion Bird, the White Tiger, and the Azure Dragon. They're all linked to different elements/weather/etc, tying the two of them together, as the Vermilion Bird is the deity of the south. Each of the symbols also has different phases of the moon connected to them, called mansions; one of them for the Vermilion Bird is 鬼, the first kanji in Kisame's name. And the main occurrence of the south kanji in the series is the Uchiha's Naka Shrine and Naka River; 'The Shrine/River of Southern Joy'. Itachi's Mangekyo Sharingan activates at the river, the tablet describing Infinite Tsukuyomi is in the shrine, and they meet by a seaside shrine.

[jaguarys]

Please reblog for sample size, I'm curious!

[discofama]

I think my favorite aspect of Obito's character is that he never lost his sense of humour. When he was a kid, he was very insecure, but he laughed a lot and loved to joke with Kushina. When he's older, we see he still finds things funny, though his humor turned out a lot darker. While he wasn't performing as Tobi, he laughed when Sasuke betrayed Karin and when he made Kakashi feel like shit, (if I remember right, since I watched the ninja war just once long ago), there's probably more examples. And Tobi's character is a huge joke in my opinion. He mocks everybody and plays constantly, I just can't imagine Obito did not enjoy doing that.

[lightweaving]

Sometimes I think about how Konan's gambit against Obito was SIX HUNDRED BILLION EXPLOSIVE TAGS

ten whole minutes of explosions, when explosions usually last a matter of seconds?

Like not just is that very sexy of her to have outwitted Obito through pure observation, it is also literally Deidara's wet dream and he would have creamed himself with TEN WHOLE MINUTES OF EXPLOSIONS

You can't tell me his spirit wasn't standing next to Konan going FUCK YEAH and if I might be so bold I'm going to hc that he's the one who inspired that very idea (and maybe she even filched a bunch of explosive tags from him bc he's got his clay, he doesn't need the tags anyway)

DeiKonan is canon and you can't convince me otherwise

[kobitoshiningneedle]

In my opinion, everyone who listened Doki Doki Waku Waku should give a try to The Spirit Puppet, Or Rather Her Love And Resuscitation

Think of it that way: Doki Doki is a song from Seiga's perspective: at the first sight it's upbeat but has pretty sinister undertones in the lyrics. Meanwhile, Spirit Puppet is from Yoshika's POV - essentially a lamentation about losing your own identity

(also the lines I have the feeling I’m being called by someone / I’m certain it was the voice of the only kind person are very curious too. Can it be Kasen perchance?)

[kirayaykimura]

I love the way this scene in 221 recontextualizes the flashback from 169.

In 221, we see Yu-Hon’s A+ parenting skills at work.

“Son, I know you’re only six but if you don’t get a grip on your emotions everyone you love will burn alive and it will be your fault.” 

Obviously there’s no child services in Fantasy Korea but damn there should be. 

Anyway, back in 169, Hak flashes back to a memory of Soo-Won laying out battle tactics (that Hak is using in the present). 

Hak is amused because the plan sounds too idealistic to actually work in the real world, but Soo-Won is dead serious when he says, “They’d choose the most devious option too,” because his father has been telling him since he was old enough to walk that Kohka’s enemies want to turn the country into hell and Soo-Won is its only line of defense. Yes, he’s being idealistic, but that’s only because he wants to ensure the fewest casualties possible in the war for Kohka that is coming.

[halowishes]

really really in depth analysis of soowon (suwon?? idk). personally, i don’t think he idealizes yuhon anymore nor would he approve of his aggressive approach as a king. he knows yuhon was a better warrior than king, which is probably why he defended his actions. when yona said “i can see why he’d never be king”, he doesn’t have a response because he knows she’s right.

suwon is a product of his environment— he forced himself to presume his father’s role in the family and demand the throne. while he may have desired it for revenge at first, through his efforts and studies, i believe he built himself into a truly worthy and well-rounded candidate. his values and tactics are quite different than yuhon. but with the crimson sickness, the duties he wants to fulfill are expedited. it’s not that he fears his emotions, rather he simply doesn’t have time for them.

he truly is a fascinating character. they all are, but i think suwon holds a special place in the author’s heart.

(tbh i don’t think this added anything of substance, the main post pretty much says this all. i just needed to get this out there)

Soowon is a very complex and interesting character, and one of his traits I like a lot is his idealisation of Yuhon because it actually created a really big issue of Soowon.

Of course, Yuhon was his role model when he was a child, but what about 18 y.o. SW? Did he think of his father so much, to the point that he started questioning some of his words or actions? Or does he still see his father in a perfect light? I've got these questions because while SW is a shrewd and level-headed person, he's been shown to be biased for the first time (as far as I remember; it's been a while since I've read AkaYona) when Yona came to him to vouch for peace between Xing and Kouka.

When I first read this manga, I was a teenager who didn't have a habit of trying to go in depth with characters, but looking at these frames now, I can say that this scene is a big tell of how Soowon sees Yuhon. He is making excuses for his father's unnecessary cruelty, even though Soowon himself, I believe, would never do something like that.

Also, chapter 221 shows that Soowon, in fact, never questioned Yuhon's methods. His father's influence on him never lessened, even after all these years (perhaps because he's been surrounded by Yuhon's supporters since, idk, forever).

He is a king. He has to sacrifice his humanity for the sake of his kingdom - that's what he's been taught by his beloved father, whom he never questioned. ("Please, let me see the board objectively" - I almost fucking cried).

So sweet is the realization that he, in fact, can't do that. He is only a human, after all, someone who already sacrificed his childhood and his closest friends for Kouka people's well-being, and I can't imagine his heart being able to take another loss.

Soowon has basically abandoned himself. The persona he and the adults around him have raised in him is "king" (according to Yuhon's ideals). I believe Soowon isn't introspective; he has been running away from his feelings this whole time, and chapter 221 was the first time he's faced them. It's very fascinating to me: he is always ready to face the consequences of his decisions, but never to face his feelings.

P.S.: I'll be very glad to receive any corrections or different opinions, because, as I said before, it's been a while since I read AkaYona, and the moments mentioned in this posts are the ones I remember vividly.

[nardo-headcanons]

Kirigakure Worldbuilding II - Specialties

Inspired by a recent conversation I had with @pxssy-stuntin-for-itxchi, I got wanted to add more to my Kirigakure worldbuiling post!

Food Preservation Since except for a month during the winter, it never really gets cold in Kirigakure. This has lead to its citizens becoming very creative at enhancing the shelf life of the food that they have. Meat/fish is dry-aged and smoked, fruits are turned into preserve, cheong, or slow-dried. Dairy is a luxury in the water realm, so there are a lot of plant based dairy alternatives already, so it’s no surprise the wave realm has a quite big vegetarian and vegan population. Even though their spice tolerance is not the highest, when talking SALT tolerance, no village can beat Kiri. They are VERY generous with salting their food. In order to get a smokey flavor to any dish, you can obtain smoked salt everywhere in the country. The water realm was the first region the come up with the concept of fermentation of food. Milk is turned into yoghurt and cabbage is turned into kimchi and its more popular variant - sauerkraut. Fun fact: Suigetsu comes from a high ranking caste, so he actually was able to afford dairy yoghurt and jello with actual gelatine, and they're his favorite foods.

Kimchi and Sauerkraut

The general spice tolerance of Kiri citizens is not the highest across the shinobi world, so kimchi is mostly exported to Konoha and Suna. The cabbage grown in the water realm is specifically bred to be extra heat resistant and crunchy. In order to cut down on waste, the excess is turned into sauerkraut juice. To put less of a strain on the public healthcare system, the water realm government has issued its citizens to exercise and eat healthy – especially children. To get more children to drink sauerkraut juice, it is produced in portable, biodegradable little juice boxes which are handed out for free in the Kirigakure academy. Every Kiri genin has tasted it atleast once. Scurvy was once a big problem for most shinobi going on long term stealth missionas, since most just lived off dried meat and crackers, except for Kiri Nin, since they always carry sauerkraut juice (and kumquats) with them.

Fruit

Mangos: With their sweet and fruity taste, they’re popular amongst children, especially when dried, rolled into balls with an added sugar crust. While other countries see them as a special treat they’re a staple in Kiri. Papaya: Another Kiri staple. It is eaten either as a fruit in its orange form or in its green form in more hearty dishes. The seeds are ground and sold as a pepper alternative. Its extracts of the are used by the Kiri beauty industry, which is the biggest one, closely followed by Suna's beauty industry. Peaches: Often grown on the mountaintops of the water realm, they’re loved all over the country. Peach trees are seen as a sign of fertility, renewal and good luck. The pits are turned into persipan, which many foreigners don't like. Durian: Those stinky fruit are banned in Kiri’s public spaces. However, it is still the most popular fruit overall, so only a few get exported yearly, much to the other countries' durian lovers' chagrin. Jackfruit: Not a lot of Kiri citizens like its fleshy texture but it is often used as meat alternative by Kiri’s large plant-based population. Lychee: They’re often sugared and canned, or added to jelly. They're amongst the most popular fruit to make cheong with.

Kumquat: Kiri nin love them because they’re basically easily portable, vitamin c filled snacks. Other honorable mentions include: Rambutan, Mangosteen, Starfruit, Cherimoya, Soursop, Yuzu and Tamarillo.

Jelly If you’ve read my last post on Kiri specialties, you probably know that instead of manufactured candy, Sweet tooths (teeth?) in Kiri chomp down on dried fruit, fermented sugary sticky rice and – jelly. Gelatine, like most non fish animal products, is a luxury so most jellies are made with agar-agar, a plant based “gelatine”. Just take some fruit juice and set it with agar – and there you have jelly. Most foreigners find Kiri’s obsession with jelly pudding off-putting, but that doesn’t stop them. Fun fact: Suigetsu comes from a high ranking caste, so he actually was able to afford dairy yoghurt and jello with actual gelatine, and they're his favorite foods. Non food fun fact: As genetic engineering gets more advanced and Kirigakure already having no issues using bacteria, they're also the biggest exporter of nutrient agar for agar plates which are used for the cultivation of bacteria and funghi. Kigakure is the leading village when it comes to biological and medical advancements, which is why Orochimaru has visited very often (and eventually ran into Kimimaro)

[not-so-terrible]

So Kisame's often considered the fourth most powerful Akatsuki member, but the top three are pretty unanimously Obito, Pain and Itachi. And with Kisame's motto being survival of the fittest and MO being taking out the weakest links, it’s fascinating to see him end up as one of the most well connected members of the Akatsuki. And since the top three never openly get to clash, technically speaking, he stays loyal to all of them. He's; 

- Working broadly for Pain, Akatsuki's open leader, who wants to create peace through traumatising the world through a cycle of war

- Working secretly for Obito, Akatsuki's real leader (and by proxy, Madara and Zetsu, Akatsuki's real-real leaders), who wants to create peace through trapping the world in a dream realm

- Working day-to-day for/with Itachi, the Akatsuki's biggest name, most powerful field member, and a secret double agent, who wants to create peace through becoming the most powerful shinobi that's ever lived,  and through using that power 'as much as he wants', 'lead the world to subjugation'

So either Kisame is the ninja equivalent of the minions, or the dojutsu wielding top three of the Akatsuki all looked to him and went 'yup, he's Henchman Shaped'

[solcomfortssouls]

This is a very interesting perspective, with Hak's actions being more similar to those of a villain and Suwoon's with that of a hero. But isn't this just that "greater good" resonates with some people more, but is also a good excuse to kill and make war and and force people to succumb to your will in its way? It's a dangerous way of thinking "whatever evil I do is justifiable because it's for the greater good".

I can get behind the idea it wasn't just King Il responsible considering he had the five generals at his disposal who all represented the different tribes and their interests. I would argue then, that Hak was exceptionally young for a general and brought up by his grandfather to see the King as just and Yona as rightful and that by becoming her bodyguard he technically had very simple tasks to be responsible for: protect Yona, fight people I tell you. He is the kind of person to put his trust into chosen people and follow them without question (simple soldier thinking in a way). There are people who are capable of bigger perspective, like the wider problems of the kingdom and those that focus on being loyal to chosen people. That's the difference between Hak and Suwoon.

I'm not necessarily saying Hak isn't capable of more, but he was young, that was his upbringing, and that was the life and way of thinking he chose. Blaming him for not being concerned for the rest of the kingdom - also considering that the Air tribe was doing really well and that was the ground he based his worldview on: my tribe is fine, my responsibilities are fulfilled, everything must be going okay.

Not to forget that Hak did put his faith in one more person: Suwon. He would have supported him as king and followed him. Why never bring those concerns Suwon had about the kingdom to Hak, if he didn't believe in Yona that much?

Suwon could have confided in Hak about the kingdom problems. But he didn't. He didn't think Hak would choose him over Yona? But Suwon's mistake was not believing in Yona as well, and he couldn't get his way with Il cause objectively speaking, Suwon's dad did kill his wife, which led Il to kill him in retaliation. This feud was personal and clouding Suwon's - as well as Il's - judgement. Even if Suwon said and maybe believed he was doing it more for the kingdom than the revenge.

Now Suwon did lots of good for the kingdom, that is true. And he is a very human character, relatable in many ways.

I'm just thinking the differences between Suwon and Hak can be nicely explained through personality differences like the sortinghatschats system describes them. There are people who are more visionary and look at the bigger perspective (the lion primary type witch is usually depicted as the one classic protagonsits have btw) like Suwon and there are people who focus on relationships and loyalties like Hak (snake primary which is usually more associated with relatable villian characters, though Hak is actually a badger which makes him more community based and Yona represents that community promise to him).

This doesn't make one more evil or less capable of love or the other more stupid. They put their value in different things (eg. ideals vs specific people). It makes them suited for different tasks.

Hero vs Villain

The Antagonist Soo-won in the manga is the "I'll save the world for you" type of guy. Basically every hero ever. He loved his dad, so he became the king who saved the Kingdom just as his dad wanted him to.

The main protagonist Hak on the other hand is the "I'll burn the word down to save her" type guy. Classis villain. He killed anyone trying to harm Yona to save her life on the day of the regicide. He would kill anything and anyone for Yona.

Yet, we love Hak and Yona, cheered for their growth and development and was appalled by Soo won's betrayal. I just adore how Mizuho Kusanagi plays with perspective. Akatsuki no Yona was a villains perspective all along. From the beginning, she was the spoilt princess of a selfish king leading a kingdom to ruin. Hak knew this, being a generals son, he was very aware how how things were outside the castle but he didn't care, if it meant Yona would be happy.

[jaguarys]

I love Itachi so much. Not in a "he was right" way but specifically in a "wow he was terribly wrong" way. He was so awful and it's so painful because you know he loves Sasuke so much and he would never in a million years do anything to hurt him purposely–– but he does, and that's what matters. He thinks what he's doing is worth it and he thinks he's doing what's right, and he's not. He's just continually digging his grave and making it worse and because of his own stubbornness and sunk cost fallacy he won't–– and perhaps can't–– change it. Because admitting that he's wrong, that it was all for nothing, is unimaginable. Because where do you go from there, when you've killed and/or irreparably traumatized everyone you care about, and then you find it was for nothing at all?