Naruto Chapter 404 – Falcon and Akatsuki (Or Sasuke isn’t so much of a moron, maybe)

On the first page, we learn yet another secret regarding Tobi/Madara, when Kisame goes to talk to him Madarai takes off his mask and Kisame reveals that it will be easier for him to do his work with the Mizukage pulling the strings!

Kakashi goes to wake up Naruto (Girly squeal Kakashi-sensei, its been far too long since you graced the pages of this manga) and they find Gamabunta and Gamakichi outside. Naruto asks them why they are out so early and Gamakichi starts to reply only to be silenced by Gamabunta. He wonders aloud what that was all about and Kakashi tells him it wasn’t important.

There hasn’t been enough of Kakashi-Sensei if you ask me.

They arrive at Tsunade’s office to find that the Hokage’s office is full of different amphibians, plus Sakura, Sai and Shizune (Hmm just noticed all their names begin with an S. Kishimoto must have a thing about that letter) Also I like Sai’s outfit that doesn’t show his abs he looks hotter to me that way, or perhaps it just that it doesn’t look so stupid.

One of the older frogs (it’s the sage toad who was with Jiraiya fighting Pein) upon seeing Naruto calls him Jiraiya’s little apprentice. And Tsunade confirms this, saying that Naruto is more than likely the child of destiny he had been talking about. Naruto asks the old frog if he is one of the old man’s toads. Tsunade tell him to watch his tongue whilst the frog replies that he is one of the great sage frogs.

Naruto gets worked up, and calls Jiraiya by his usual name for him, pervy sage. Tsunade again tells Naruto to watch his language as this is the master who taught Jiraiya all his sage techniques. The frog himself laughs saying that the name pervy sage fits Jiraiya perfectly.

Naruto asks the frog what he wants, he replies by saying I should start with this, and then tells Naruto that little Jiraiya died in battle. We leave Konoha with Naruto obviously in disbelief asking what he is talking about.

What do you mean I’m the lead character?

Now its back to the Uchiha! Ahh well I can’t complain I guess Naruto was in at least half of this chapter, so that’s certainly an improvement on things recently.

Sasuke is sitting down in a chair, Madara, Kisame, Karin, Juugo and Suigetsu are all in the room. Madara is asking Sasuke how he will go about attacking Konoha. Sasuke says he will kill the elders, he doesn’t plan to target anyone else.

YAY!!!!! Okay so he isn’t as moronic as he’s appeared the last few chapters. Still, its not like he’s not going to meet any resistance right? So he will be fighting Konoha-nin. But we know from his training with Orochimaru that he can take out a lot of nin without actually killing them, so that is more than likely his plan. Of course like Naruto is going to be easy to knock down!

Kisame tells him that it won’t be easy since his ‘Falcon’ group (note this is what they are Sasuke’s team now. Last week it was suggested the team was called Eagle but it appears they are actually called Falcon or Taka.) isn’t strong enough.

Suigetsu starts to pick a fight and tells Kisame he shouldn’t underestimate them. He goes to attack only to be stopped by Madara who tells Sasuke he lacks discipline. Karin is yelling at Suigetsu and Sasuke doesn’t appear to care much at all.

Suigetsu says the only reason he joined Sasuke was to get at Kisame. Juugo asks Sasuke what he will do, he replies that Suigetsu can do what he wants, although he isn’t powerful enough to beat Kisame. Suigetsu agrees, but says he will have shark fin eventually and that ‘they’ can’t talk since Akatsuki isn’t powerful either (well they have lost quite a few members)

Madara says that Akatsuki and Taka will work together since their aims coincide, he says he will give them one of the tailed beasts. Madara says that the beasts are chakra monsters and that the first Hokage had quite a few under his control. The First, we learn his name was Hashirama began sharing them with other villages as a sign of their treaties, in order to stabilize the balance of power.

Sasuke calls him generous, and Madara tells him that if he betrays Akatsuki he is dead. Sasuke chuckles as Kisame tells them there are nine tailed beasts and Akatsuki has seven of them. Sasuke remarks that they haven’t yet caught the nine-tailed fox aka Naruto and Madara replies that Akatsuki will capture Naruto and Taka will take the other.

It moves to later and Zetsu is asking Madara how things went. Madara replies that it went well and with Itachi out of the way there is no longer anyone troubling him, he scoffs saying “So much for, “I won’t touch Konoha.””. So it appears that the reason Naruto hasn’t been taken before is that Itachi wouldn’t do it.

Zetsu remarks that Itachi has waited a long time, but he says everything is going according to plan (lol for some reason Madara reminds me of Emperor Palpatine from Star Wars here) and that its fine. Itachi wanted to stop him from getting to Sasuke with Amaterasu and Zetsu says that Itachi probably thought the truth would never get out so he doesn’t know why he did that. Madara says regardless of that Itachi probably feared that he would try to get Sasuke on his side.

Zetsu says that he never thought so many Akatsuki members would fall to get them where they are. Madara says that there were problems, but they all joined of their free will and that they wouldn’t have gotten as far as they have without Deidara, Sasori, Hidan and Kakazu. He says that thanks to them, things are going according to plan, but most importantly, he has won Sasuke over.

Wow, quite a bit going on this week and Naruto actually got to be in almost half of the manga, although maybe we could have had a whole chapter devoted to him and the fallout from learning Jiraiya’s fate. I mean the Sasuke-baka crap could have waited til next week right?

Yes I’m still calling him Sasuke-baka because whilst I see that he doesn’t plan to attack the whole of Konoha I still think he’s being stupid, damned Uchiha brat.

Images are taken from scans by SleepyFans.

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