This Underrated Naruto Arc Cements Sasuke’s Fate As A Villain

Naruto: Shippuden‘s “Five Kage Summit” arc is crucial to understanding Sasuke’s development, and is considered by many to contain Sasuke’s most iconic moment. It also has the misfortune of being short while also sandwiched between the Fourth Ninja War and “The Pain Assault”, one of Naruto: Shippuden‘s most touching, beloved arcs — a matter the anime makes worse by having a twenty-episode long filler arc right before it.

Sasuke’s development as a character has always been framed by his brother Itachi’s betrayal of his own clan, killing all of its members (including their own parents) but sparing Sasuke himself.

The Five Kage Summit arc gives the aftermath of a major shift in Sasuke’s relationship with the idea of Itachi, catching him while he is wrapped up in shifting opinions. The world of Naruto: Shippuden is simultaneously elaborated and core characters like Sakura and Naruto show new sides of themselves as Sasuke begins to spiral out of control.

A Time of Change for Sasuke

Revelations Led Sasuke To Turn Against Konoha

Long before the “Five Summit Arc”, Sasuke had left the series’ colorful and cozy hometown of Konoha in order to find his brother and avenge his family. This departure had already branded Sasuke as a traitor to the village, willing to throw it aside for his own personal goals. For Naruto and Sakura, recovering Sasuke became a primary goal.

Sasuke starts the group Hebi in order to help him accomplish his goals of finding and defeating Itachi. After killing Itachi, he’s captured by Obito of Akatsuki (masquerading as Madara Uchiha). Obito divulges Itachi’s real role as a member of Konoha’s black ops squad Anbu in order to turn Sasuke against Konoha, manipulating the story occasionally so that Sasuke comes to his side.

After this sequence of events, Sasuke symbolically changes the name of his group from Hebi (snake) to Taka (eagle). Matters worsened for the perception of Sasuke after he joined forces with Akatsuki, a rebel organization operating outside the Kage system under Obito’s directive in order to obtain all the tailed beasts. Obito gives Sasuke a mission to capture Killer B, which leads to Sasuke being perceived as an international terrorist. A meeting of the Five Kage of the villages is called. The goal: capture Sasuke and develop a plan to handle the growing threat of Akatsuki.

Sasuke, upon learning about the summit, takes the opportunity to launch an attack and get revenge (leading to, among others, Sasuke’s brilliant fight against Danzo). His elaborate plan is foiled by White Zetsu, who announces Sasuke’s presence. This failed infiltration, alongside Sasuke’s violence against Taka teammate Karin, leads Taka to implode as Sasuke’s teammates struggle to stay by his side in light of his increasing recklessness and self-centeredness.

Turmoil in Team 7: Sasuke’s Strained Relationship With Naruto & Sakura

As Sasuke Strays Further From Conventional Morality, His Friends Are Left With Doubts (But Never Give Up)

Although it centers on Sasuke, the arc also serves to elevate Naruto and Sakura. Naruto’s steadfast belief in communication over violence has even spawned a meme, “Talk No Jutsu”. Yet here, where Sasuke is coldest, Naruto is at his warmest; a warmth, however, tinged with stress. At the beginning of the arc, Naruto asks for Sasuke to be pardoned when the Raikage gives him a reality check about Sasuke and his intentions, reinforced later by a visit from Obito. When Itachi sends a shadow clone to speak with Naruto about Sasuke, Naruto defends Sasuke vigorously.

Both Naruto and Sakura had doubts about Sasuke after the Killer B kidnapping attempt and the attack on the summit. The two are known for their optimistic resilience and faith in Sasuke. Naruto and Sasuke are essential to one another, and seeing Naruto and Sakura’s unshakeable faith undermined is a strange experience for the viewers. Although the two never give up faith entirely, seeing them finally question Sasuke gives their characters more humanity.

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Consider when Sakura decides to take it into her own hands to kill Sasuke, but ultimately finds herself unable to do it. Alternatively, how Sakura gives a false confession to Naruto, a jinchuriki targeted by Akatsuki, in a ploy to protect him from the danger of chasing Sasuke. He rebuts by saying that she should pursue her true love in Sasuke despite his own complicated feelings for her.

In context of the fact that such a cold Konoha-led operation was revealed which directly impacted Sasuke (who arguably understands him best of anyone), it speaks volumes of Naruto’s ambitions that he would continue to try to defend Konoha in the name of bettering it. As it demonstrates his idealism, it also demonstrates the vigor with which he works to defend his ideals. This rift would carry through to the end of the series.

The Importance of the “Five Kage Summit” Arc

The Five Kage Summit Arc Raises Questions About The Politics In Naruto

Sasuke is the vehicle by which the Five Kage Summit arc reveals the geopolitical workings of the Naruto world. The summit in question was actually the second summit ever. The first is later revealed to have been called decades earlier, intended to foster peace between clans. The arc opens up questions about how well the Kage System and the geopolitics of the Naruto universe have worked.

The Five Kage Summit arc is the first where all villages fully participate in the geopolitics of the region. However, it’s also the first where viewers get a full feel of the vast differences in the Kage and the villages they lead. The summit is an exercise in ineffective communication among people who barely get along prior to Sasuke’s unifying assault.

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Viewers learn about the relationship between the Senja and Uchiha clans in the final arc, and it gives the arc a new depth. In context, it gives a nice explanation for why Sasuke might not be a “villain” per se. However, his attack would be perceived as a declaration of war by the Five Kage, who banded together to establish the Allied Shinobi Forces in preparation for an impending war. At any rate, Sasuke would be irreversibly branded as a villain until he spoke to the reanimated version of Itachi during the war and returns to fight alongside Naruto.

The Five Kage Summit arc makesessentially every element of Naruto more elaborate. Rewatching it after one has the context of the ending only enriches the arc. Although packed with engaging fights, it’s also extremely heartfelt. Fan favorites like Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are depicted in new lights as several side characters like Sai are given more dimension.

Finally, the Five Kage Summit arc complicates clandestine and governmental organizations alike. Beloved locales like Konoha are given sinister uncertainty. In effect, it undermines the law, order, and morality which had previously been effectively unquestioned in Naruto‘s universe except for villains themselves, and every character feels it.

Without it, any sort of major conflict capping off the Shippuden era would be flat. As new and unlikely alliances take shape in preparation for a final push against Akatsuki (and as the Kage would learn, many others), the Five Kage Summit arc works quietly to raise the stakes of the questions the final arc of Naruto: Shippuden would ask: who’s really a hero or a villain, and when is an imperfect world worth protecting?

Naruto: Shippuden

Set two and a half years after the events of Masashi Kishimoto’s original anime, Naruto Shippuden continues the titular hero’s attempts to become the best ninja in the Hidden Leaf Village and bring his former friend Sasuke Uchiha back to the light. The 500-episode series features the return of allies such as Sakura Haruno and Naruto Uzumaki’s mentor Jiraiya, as well as the villainous organization Akatsuki.

Cast

Junko Takeuchi , Kazuhiko Inoue , Noriaki Sugiyama , Chie Nakamura , Shoutarou Morikubo , Hideo Ishikawa , Nana Mizuki , Houchuu Ootsuka

Release Date

February 15, 2007

Seasons

22

Network

Adult Swim

Writers

Junki Takegami , Satoru Nishizono , Yasuyuki Suzuki , Yasuaki Kurotsu , Masanao Akahoshi

Directors

Hayato Date , Masaaki Kumagai , Yasuaki Kurotsu , Osamu Kobayashi , Chiaki Kon

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