We’re often told that things don’t go as they’re planned but Masashi Kishimoto overturned this whole notion in his series Naruto. It’s a mix of both planned and unplanned arcs, which is what makes it so interesting. But there is one such instance that ended up working in the mangaka’s favor.
In other words, the mangaka had already planned on including a battle scene in his work. Little did we know that it would be one of the most epic fights in the series. It also highlights the theme of rivalry, which runs parallel within the story.
Masashi Kishimoto’s epic pre-planned battle for the manga
Masashi Kishimoto will go down in history for giving us one of the most memorable ninja stories. We all grew up witnessing the blonde knucklehead and his transformation into the legendary shinobi. With his dreams and aspirations, he taught most of us never to give up.
If there’s one word the series could be summed up into, it has to be impact, especially when it comes to characters. It is been almost eight years since the Shippuden anime ended, but Kishimoto made his mark, nonetheless. But there is more to the influence and legacy than meets the eye.
Speaking of impact, the manga has several moments that hit different even today. There were tears, laughter, and bittersweet scenes that tugged at our heartstrings in every way. But then there’s also loss, grief, loneliness, and other complexities that Kishimoto brought out perfectly.
It wasn’t merely talk-talk jutsu that made it so compelling but fights as well. We can collectively agree on the fact that it has some of the finest battle choreography. There’s this one fight in the series that is hands down, one of the best Shonen duel, and surprisingly, the mangaka preplanned it.
In an interview with Nippon, Kishimoto opened up about the preplanned fight between Naruto and Sasuke. he said:
When I first met the editors, I only knew one thing about my manga: that I wanted Naruto and Sasuke [his rival since childhood] to end the work with a climactic confrontation.
The hand signs, the jumps, the kicks, basically everything about the fight was sheer poetry. It is fluid and slick, which is why this duel is considered to be one of the finest in the anime. But there is a key detail that the fight brings out, and that is the ever-present parallel of rivalry within the manga.
The rivalry parallels within Naruto
Naruto is rich in its symbolism and lore so much so that at this point, it’s a masterpiece. The art and the details are something that highlight the mangaka’s finesse. There is, however, one brilliant trait about Kishimoto’s series that deserves praise and, that is, parallels.
The series does both overshadowing and parallels brilliantly, especially with rivalry. Not only Sasuke and Naruto, but there are innumerable examples of rivalry. But interestingly, the parallels aren’t all the same, and that’s because the mangaka gives it a new meaning each time.
In particular, Guy and Kakashi’s bond highlights their competitive streak. Then, there are Hashirama and Madara, who are two very important and legendary figures in Konoha’s history. It also resonates with Indra and Asura’s brotherhood, which was tainted by hatred.
On similar lines, we’ve got Sakura and Ino’s friendship turned into rivalry and then friendship. It is strange yet so beautiful that the series brings out these beautiful yet obvious parallels. In this sense, the final valley fight is pure brilliance and deserves all the praise.
Naruto: Shippuden is available for streaming on Crunchyroll. The manga is available for reading on Shueisha’s Manga Plus app.
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