#also I MAY...have a little something in mind for Metal Gaara and Shinki in my most recent comic series...

[bakapandy]

How do you feel about the rivalry/relationship (?) between Gaara and Lee? I feel like Lee’s fight with him started him down the narrative line that ended with naruto finally being able to reach him. I have a huge soft spot for Lee so I’m biased but I was SO hoping for some kind of interesting continuation on that between Metal and Shinki. (I actually started watching Boruto just to see Shinki and Gaara because of your tumblr— full disclosure, I skipped right ahead to the Chunin exams because I give zero fucks about Naruto’s punk-ass kid lol). Anyway, I like Gaara and Lee I feel like they’re great foils for each other and I like to imagine that Gaara has a lot of respect for Lee and vice versa (once he becomes a better, less murder-y person). I’m curious about your thoughts on their characters and if you have any headcanons about them. (I feel like Shinki and Metal are a lost cause, he got completely dismissed by Shinki in the exams. I don’t think Shinki has any respect for him at all, and I don’t see that improving.but if you have any thoughts on them I’m curious about that too!)

I’m a HUGE proponent of Gaara and Lee being good friends. And I believe you’re right, Gaara was first affected by Rock Lee’s relationship with Gai. Their unwavering and unequivocal dedication and love for each other was a concept Gaara did not understand but knew he yearned for. Gaara, I think, was capable of being changed and convinced BECAUSE he witnessed PROOF of the strength of love through Lee and Naruto.

long ass reply so I put the rest under the cut

Not only that, but Lee’s heart is so big and so strong that he didn’t hold a grudge against Gaara for what he did, even if it nearly ended his career as a shinobi. You can tell Gaara was affected when Lee tells him this while they face-off Kimimaro.  

Gaara canonically respects Lee a great deal. He explicitly references Lee when he grants Shira the right to become a ninja and to participate in the chunin exams. And it goes without saying that Lee respects Gaara, it’s shown and stated quite often throughout the series haha. (also their shenanigans at the end of shippuden around Naruto’s wedding was amusing and shown they’ve become much closer and casual in their friendship haha though I guess some people would debate whether that’s canon)

It’s a pity that we didn’t get a scene of Gaara more explicitly apologizing to Lee, bc as the person he becomes, it’s something he would do. I know there is a scene in one of the Ninja Storm Games where Gaara does try to (though it’s thwarted by Lee’s shenanigans if I recall correctly haha). But basically, yeah I think they’re good friends. Maybe not as close as Naruto and Gaara, but Gaara still thinks of him as someone important. 

As for Metal and Shinki, did I really expect them to give them good writing? Not really lol. It’s really cute that Metal is a big fan of Gaara as the Kazekage, and I’d like to believe that is born from Lee simply holding Gaara in high regard. But Lee is very humble, I doubt he would do or say anything of the sort like “Oh I fought the Kazekage during our Chunin exam and battered him quite a bit” and I kind of feel like he would just keep that memory to himself out of respect for Gaara because he knows Gaara was in a different place back then. I also doubt he would brag that he knows the Kazekage well either because that’s just how he is. So that’s why I kind of imagine that Metal simply doesn’t know very much about his father’s connection to the Kazekage. 

For Shinki, lmao, my headcanon is that he’s pretty knowledgeable about the Konoha ninja. Of course, he knows about Naruto and Boruto, but without a doubt, Gaara has told him about Lee as well. And with my headcanon of Shira also training Shinki at some point, Shira has absolutely told him about them too. So that’s kind of why I think Shinki took the initiative to take on Metal and his team on his own. Because at this point, Shinki is still in that mindset of wanting to prove himself. The anime implied that Metal had the potential to give Shinki a hard time skill-wise, but Shinki simply outsmarted him in that battle because of the rules of the exam. But who’s the stay they won’t have a rematch?

[enixamyram]

My Ranking Of Naruto's Next Gen Characters

1. Shinki - I immediately had a soft spot for Shinki because he's Gaara's son and because I'm a sucker for adopted relationships. But since then I really do like him as his own character. The more I see of him the more interested I am. I really hope they do some kind of arc about his past and where he came from and I hope it lives up to the anticipation I have built waiting for it.

2. Himawari - A totally cutie, she's just such a sweet and fun character, the exact kind of thing I like most about this series. I also enjoy the fact that she's a natural with her byakugan and she's definitely one of those who I can't wait to see what she'll be like as she grows older. I hope she'll become a strong Shinobi but without losing her sweet soft hearted side.

3. Wasabi - Honestly I love any character that has some kind of cat-like affinity and Wasabi is no exception. That said, like Shinki, this may have been what drew me in at first but the more I see of her, the more I enjoy in general. Her being an original character also helps and even if she doesn't have a big story of her own, I enjoy the little ones all the same.

4. Sarada - Proof not all my favourites are bias because of their parents! I do not enjoy Sasuke or Sakura's characters at all, but Sarada is really growing on me! I find her quite entertaining, as someone who works hard to become strong rather than just being a natural, and even if Hokage is a pretty cliché goal at this point, it's still nice to see a female character with a desire that has nothing to do with a cute boy in her class.

5. Yodo - This ones a bit of a cheat because we really don't know that much about her. But from what we do know, I really adore her. I love her design and there are really nice little moments for her. I like that she seems to be the friendliest of the Team Shinki group, being the only one to really talk to others in a easy going way.

6. Araya - Again, another slight cheat for similar reasons but I have a soft spot for Suna characters. That and I find it sweet that Araya suffers from anxiety and leans on his friends (like Shinki) in order to stay calm and focus on the fight.

5. Inojin - And we're back to my usual bias because let's face it, a lot of my love for Inojin is that he's Ino's son, haha! Still, I wouldn't like a character for that reason alone and I do find Inojin to be entertaining. He has some really nice episodes and I don't believe anyone who wasn't at least a little moved by Akkun's death!

8. Sumire - She started off a pretty typical background character that I had no feelings for. She was the kind that was just there. Then they gave her an interesting backstory and villain arc and she definitely grew on me. I feel like there's room to develop her more but as she is, she's still fun to watch.

9. Metal - While his design is one of the most unoriginal (it's not even funny how much of an obvious clone he is of his dad), I actually really like that he has an opposite personality to him. I wouldn't mind seeing him build more as his own character but the parts we have seen have been interesting and I feel genuine sympathy for the poor kid a lot of the time.

10. Shikadai - He's just behind Metal in most unoriginal design. And that wouldn't actually bother me too much but he's got too much of his fathers personality as well. While I don't hate the character, I have no interest in him either since it's clear the show is just copying Shikamaru in most ways. Maybe if the series does something big and different to surprise the audience with him then he could earn a higher place but at the moment my biggest interest in him is that he's related to Gaara and Shinki.

11. Boruto - While he definitely has a lot of negative traits, I don't dislike him all that much. Even if I don't agree, I can understand why he feels and acts the way he does. Most of my dislike is an entirely personal issue. I just don't enjoy his random devotion to Sasuke (and not just because I dislike Sasuke) and I just generally do not find him to be an eye catching main character. I'd much rather watch the other characters.

12. Chocho - Again, not necessarily a bad character. I like her design and I enjoy some moments of her. But I'm also very much put off by her personality. I just don't like those kind of girls so every time Chocho get's into one of her big headed speeches, I need to skip and move on. That being said, I still like her friendship with Sarada and enjoy watching her fight at the same time.

13. Iwabee - An interesting enough character, but simply not one I'm interested in. This is a funny one because by all means there is nothing at all wrong with him, but I still just don't care for him either way. The only scenes of his I really enjoy also involve characters I'm much more interested in.

13. Namida - I've conflicting feelings about this young girl. I actually liked that episode where she took a seemingly useless and problematic power (her crying/scream) and showed she can turn it into a powerful weapon with training. It was a really good episode and I adore her relationship with Wasabi. However apart from those two particular things, nothing else about her stands out and she's not really interested me any more than that.

14. Denki - Honestly the most boring original character. He's not necessarily that bad, but he's kind of a cliché in my eyes and I just don't find anything about him interesting at all. And it's not like Iwabee who I can live with or without, but rather I skip his scenes altogether.

15. Mitsuki - I just don't like him. Not only does he act just like Sai (without even the excuse of being related to Sai) but I've never liked the character who idolizes another this much. I especially do not like it when I feel the series doesn't even give a good enough reason for them to idolize them. Maybe if they had built the friendship between Mitsuki and Boruto, I might feel different but as it is, I generally roll my eyes whenever he's on screen.