Naruto & Nationalism: The Evils of the Leaf Village

[@SagesRain]

This is a re-upload due to the last video getting age-restricted.

[@Seraphiel29]

Do you know what part got it age-restricted?

[@nonexistent_777]

Gladly watching it again

[@Sp_cehobo]

KZbin’s being weird and I love these more longer dissectional analysis videos I think you should try and give bleach a shot the characters are brimming with depth and the soul society is a very interesting ‘country’ and government to examine

[@sebaredghost9068]

Why did it get age-restricted!

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Sorry you had to do that.

[@IsaiahWayne2104]

When Naruto finally got acknowledged by the Leaf after defeating Pain, it was because they saw him as a useful tool for the village.

[@wolfsbanealphas617]

Facts the leaf is trash

[@big3fanboy19]

@IsaihWayne2104 Or really grateful that someone saved them from a big evil threat. Naruto by proving himself changed the minds of the hidden leaf. Naruto could have easily ditched the village like sasuke instead defended the village which made the villagers proud and accept naruto. Like I get what you’re saying but by what kakashi said during that moment was literally kishimoto intension not oh the villagers saw naruto as a useful tool instead accepted naruto.

[@claymusicoff5663]

Jesus Christ u people are joyless

[@shirannjones9821]

@@big3fanboy19Tbh that may be the writer intentions, but it’s ok to say those sentiments you shared just are convenience’s for the village to appreciate Naruto as strong tool on their side. It don’t feel genuine in that sense

[@big3fanboy19]

@@shirannjones9821 sure you can say that but literally in that scene. None of the villagers saw naruto as just a tool in that moment instead thanked the hero who defeated pain. Everyone in the village changed their belief on naruto.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

The biggest victims of the Shinobi system are the Jinchūriki. They were forced to have Tailed Beasts sealed into them, and they were all treated like outcasts.

[@kinghenryiii1309]

Yea and most like Naruto and Gaara had no choice in the matter. To live a life full of hatred and isolation that is not of your own doing or choice is it's own hell

[@allhailtheking9127]

oddly enough we don't really know how the other villages treat there Jin. Hell with the bug tailed beast ther ninja is praised and loved for being the Jin. Which just shows how more evil and heartless he leaf, sand, and cloud's people are.

[@S.pilgrim]

It never made much sense to me, especially knowing a lot of them were (supposedly) related to the kage in some way to ensure loyalty. Like you have these walking nukes that are there for the defence and objectives of the village (theoretically, I know it can go wrong like Gaara initially etc)

[@Not_obligated2care]

What about fuu? She always seemed happy and ready for a good spirited fight.

[@Not_obligated2care]

She reminded me of Rock Lee alot

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Pain: What about my parents? My village? My family? Me: 😮

[@embodimentofgreatness5514]

im tired of this emoji. i dont like you

[@sunnywestside4210]

i do not condemn Pain

[@croussant]

Tsunade: "Oh, that's different."

[@CrazyAnimeGamer3]

But pain did kill the one who made it possible for him to even try to get revenge. Jaraiya did nothing to pain. Yes the leaf did. But are you any better than those who hurt you if you kill those who helped you or if you kill the innocent? I get not condemning pain though.

[@ashockmizer914]

Blame War crimes and Injustice laws

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Naruto: I want to become Hokage! Sasuke: I want to change the system.

[@antokarman2064]

And that's why sasuke is the smarter one

[@emmarod8746]

⁠Sasuke wanted to be a dictator and force the world to follow his will. Naruto knows people have to willingly accept you to be able to accept the changes you want to create, because if you use force to push your will on others, it will only create those who will have hate on those who are forcing their ideals on them.

[@sunnywestside4210]

& that’s why Sasuke is way better

[@matthieuramazanibin-ali3532]

Sasuke’s idea was good but his methods wasn’t, just another version of madara

[@selfimprovement5873]

​@@matthieuramazanibin-ali3532Incorrect, Madara was the better one. Sasuke was just stupid in comparison maybe even worse than Naruto's.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

No wonder the Uchiha tried to start a coup. The Leaf failed them, time and time again.

[@dotaheaven633]

Explain how? Tobirama coutions is not without cause, even after all the privilege, uchiha still sided with Madara! In Hiruzen era, Uchiha thinks only of their clans, they constantly believe they are superior and should rule, while Senju willingly gave up stupid clan pride Even Itachi said there is no hope in this garbage clan, they overestimated their abilities

[@akkoismydaughter3573]

​@@dotaheaven633you know what, you spitting tho

[@akkoismydaughter3573]

​@@dotaheaven633 you know what genuinely pisses me off... Is that the whole coup started because Sasuke's dad was mad that people didn't trust the Uchihas thanks to people believing the nine tails attack was by an uchiha, and yet admits that they had good reason to cuz he knows it was done by one rogue Uchiha. Yet, still gets mad and starts a coup as if he had to give the village more reasons to mistrust the Uchihas, and then mind you, how long would it have realistically lasted, cuz at a certain point, they probably would have realized that it makes zero sense for the Uchihas to use the nine tails to attack their own village, and that their argument for the Uchihas not being there to stop the nine tails falls flat when they find out that it was on the leaf's orders

[@killakam3600]

​@dotaheaven633 the leaf village still made matters bad. The Senju clan were long disbanded, yet the people of the village who the Senju and Uchiha allowed to join later, we're somehow prejudiced against them. Like, Tobirama may have been wrong, but he had justifiable reason to hold some resentment. He had been fighting the Uchiha his whole life and even lost a sibling to them as a kid. All the other clans who joined the leaf village later didn't trust them because they were "too powerful and too emotional". Which is what ultimately led to the Uchiha being outcasted in a village they cofounded. So I understand where the clan's frustration came from.

[@Not_obligated2care]

@@dotaheaven633 trust me he won’t explain he just comments what everyone else wants to hear for likes. It’s genuinely annoying….

[@smokinbonez420]

You already know we're watching the video again

[@SagesRain]

i appreciate y'all

[@Grim_ignotus]

​@SagesRain I was on vacation, so I did not watch it yet, but I know it's gonna be a banger

[@ADM.II.]

​@@SagesRain More naruto vids please.

[@bushidomayfield5784]

@@SagesRaincan you do a bleach video on aizen

[@dajeromadaje33]

Nationalism in Naruto was always a fundamental part of the story that I always felt was under acknowledged, and often got overlooked. I really appreciate your thoughtful and emotional breakdown of some of the story’s more subtle but consistent and important themes!

[@deandredukes95]

It was so nice, he uploaded it twice

[@b.h.4249]

Ooh, that rhymes!

[@storytelling-od3ju]

tbh, the way naruto ended up changing to fit the village is actually something that would happen in real life and that is what makes it sad

[@claymusicoff5663]

Yes Naruto changed by *checks note* becoming Hokage, revamping the system, use of technology and the phasing out of ninjas roles in foreign matters… totally changed. Naruto was never a guy who wanted to lead and reform his village.

[@BigRedHeadPhones]

@@claymusicoff5663 Thank you I felt like I was going crazy. 💀

[@akkoismydaughter3573]

​@@claymusicoff5663 that's not even the same type of change he meant... Whatever he was talking about, all I know is that he's talking about changing to fit in, and your just talking about changes in life affected by naruto

[@claymusicoff5663]

@@akkoismydaughter3573where did Naruto charge to fit in? Ms always wanted to be Hokage

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Naruto and hashirama have a twisted sense of morality when they praise itachi for committing genocide but then again naruto called obito the man that killed his parents the coolest guy ever he let orochimaru not face any punishment for his crimes in brouto orochimaru is still doing human experiment and naruto is fine with it

[@embodimentofgreatness5514]

kishimoto took the easy way by pushing all of the leaf’s sins onto danzo alone, and then having sasuke, the rogue ninja, dispatch of him, rather than naruto “the child of prophecy.” in the end, they remained ignorant tools in a broken system, they just stood at the top of it

[@Karlwasright]

When I first watched Shippuden, I thought Sasuke would go after ALL the elders.

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Naruto failed he didn't make any real change he didn't even keep his promise to nagato about the rian valige

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Many of villains were right pain was right about the cycle of hatred madrara was right about the shnobi system being hell zabuza was right about shnobi being used by thier village and people and neji was right about destiny naruto is the child of destiny they had a better understanding about life than naruto

[@marko1263]

It's still crazy that had Sasuke not gone "full terrorist" and assassinated Danzo, the latter would've almost 100% gotten away with it all, just like the other 2 elders. The story is hypocritical to the core.

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

@marko1263 naruto has many contradiction in it themes like hashirama I want to create a community where children don't have to experience war and the hidden leaf village sends chapter like kakashi obito and rain to war another example is the village hidden in the leaves is one big happy family but the hate other than and treat other like trash like naruto and kakashi father being hated by the village and uchiha also being hated by the village and how hard work beats talent but naruto is the child of destiny naruto has lots contradiction and hypocrites and yes your right thr hidden leaf village are evil and hypocrites alot of problems and wars were caused by them fuck the hidden leaf village

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

The Leaf did Pain, Shisui, Itachi, Naruto & Sasuke dirty. Especially, Danzō.

[@nathaninostroza7655]

Sakumo and Maito Dai fell for the leaf, like they were nothing, after all they did. Maito Dai could ve easily be as cheered by the village as Naruto, in aknowledgement of his bravery and the power it took to leave only three out off all seven swordsman, all at the time by himself. But nope, the leaf s ungrateful as phuck. Sakumo s legacy, Kakashi, was a masterpiece to leave as a gift for the village, as great as Sakumo when he was alive.

[@asweetlullaby]

True. They didn't become some laughing or ruthless type killers, they were the one to take that rough but true path to peace

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Hiruzen was a weak leader - He let the Cloud walk over the Leaf during the Hyūga Affair - He let Orochimaru get away - He let the Uchiha Clan be slaughtered, because of a potential coup - He let everyone treat Minato's son like trash

[@kanekikingstorm2113]

I agree with the first two, but with in regards with the Uchiha clan massacre, Danzo undermined his authority, and subverted everything that Itachi and Shisui were doing to prevent the massacre. Hiruzen let himself be ruled by sentimentality of his friends, and it cost the lives of innocent people time and again

[@OuTKasTBaiTKasTo7]

he was to busy voyeuring naked women using his crystal ball

[@Holiidayyyyy]

​@kanekikingstorm2113 let donzo undermine his order is in it of itself a sign of weak leadership and character

[@kanekikingstorm2113]

@@Holiidayyyyy especially after the assassination attempt

[@akkoismydaughter3573]

​@@Holiidayyyyy donzo clearly must have had a lot of power to get away with what he's done in the show, and for that to be the case, what power could hiruzen have used to counter that. Hiruzen was a very political smart man, he knew when he could and couldn't get away with something

[@theprimordialbean2155]

It was always wild to me how the story praised Itachi for the slaughter he committed. I would understand killing the men who were planning rebellion, but the women and children of the clan too? They did nothing. They were merely ordered killed simply to prevent any would-be avengers, with Sasuke likely being left alive by the Elders and Danzo because he hatred was not pointed at the village.

[@CrazyAnimeGamer3]

There's a lot of messed up stuff in Naruto. Like Kushina's home village. Eventually destroyed because their sealing jutsu was feared. Yet they used their people as Jinchuriki's.

[@LetsTalkAbout1125]

Naruto didn’t even change his wife’s clan like he “promised” Neji, ain’t no way he could ever change the world

[@ofcrgry]

Can you elaborate on how he failed to change the clan? Didn't he effectively stop the slave branding of the branch families and Hiashi even acknowledged the change? Or is there actually still a "branch" section of the Hyuuga clan?

[@JustinJohnson-ks3mu]

Naruto didn’t have to because from watching the show. It seem like only Neji Was the only one who didn’t feel a sense of honor for serving the main family, and that was only him as a kid

[@Seasonal-Shadow_4674]

We need more videos and analyzers who can question the narrative and theme of a story. Many people and film passionate people that like and understand the story, and the theme and act like they can never be questioned

[@claymusicoff5663]

True but this is ridiculous. To bring up all this and not mention the great ninja war and the ninja unity, much less Boruto and the after effects shows were cherry picking

[@sebastianfeuerstein9306]

That's exactly what I've mostly experienced whenever it's comes to discussing Naruto

[@Seasonal-Shadow_4674]

@@sebastianfeuerstein9306 especially Naruto reactors like Boldcast

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Honestly, I would have sided with Sasuke. Not that I wanted the Five Kage dead, but because Sasuke knew that the cycle of hatred would've never ended.

[@claymusicoff5663]

Yes so you continue the hatred by… murdering the beloved leaders?

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Sasuke was right with revolution

[@asweetlullaby]

​@@dytgyfgyffuh243True. It seems from the outside energy and personality that they are brutal villains, but in reality he was showing the world the brutality he faced. His motive of peace, was absolutely correct, although all those ninjas just saw him as a murderer who wanted to destroy the world. But in reality, they themselves were the stupid ones who set themselves to their selfish thoughts, and did not know true peace

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Many of villains were right pain was right about the cycle of hatred madrara was right about the shnobi system being hell end 33 proves zabuza was right about shnobi being used by thier village and people and neji was right about destiny naruto is the child of destiny they had a better understanding about life than naruto his too naive and idealistic kishimoto said himself that naruto is too naive and idealistic

[@asweetlullaby]

@@dytgyfgyffuh243 Yeah. But Madara was partially right. His idea of peace was justifiable, but his way of bringing it wasn't correct. Also, if you're talking about Naruto, I agree too at some point he was naive, and not so great at making decisions especially as a 16 year old child, but if you observe carefully, his talk no jutsu works on the villains, but they were also the ones who changed his ideology. Now, after the pain arc and even after some quite fights with all those people, he realised that ensuring peace was a heavy burden and had loads of pain and suffering to carry. He had matured so greatly that now he too, corrected his ideology and connected his to that of those antagonists, and surely now he was a true considerate person. Also, I believe that neji was wrong about destiny. Having powers doesn't mean only good will come, it wasn't naruto's destiny to become a hero, because if it weren't for those shinobi who had a huge impact on his life, and made him walk through the path of light and good, he would've just ended up like Sasuke. He himself said to him, 'One wrong step, and I would have become like you' He was right, and maybe, wise too, for realising the meaning of the words said by those shinobi and making himself a kind natured person to walk through peace. So, in conclusion, I was basically saying that mhm, you are right that the bad guys like pain, madara etc. were the ones who wanted to ensure peace and justice to the world. And that Naruto was naive at first, for just saying all the time to never give up and lah lah, but if you know his character arc crystal clear, it is true that later on he also became one of the shinobi who, even after passing through lots of pain and misery, wanted the world to live in peace and harmony. Now, even if he didn't play a significant role as the Hokage, he became the cause of change of many wrong mindsets of people. And surely he's a noble boy for that. Now for destiny, I just wanted to say that according to me, it wasn't fate that made him a saviour, it was himself and the many legendary shinobi, especially Itachi and Nagato, who made him what he is today, a true guy. Anyways, have a lovely day :)

[@Sp_cehobo]

It’s kinda really sad to see how the boy who we saw detest and cry out with his Soul how he’ll risk his very life to change a corrupt system conform to it and enable it. Himself not changing the leaf village but the leaf village changing him.

[@Miahren15]

i think Naruto's idea of making the existing system better vs Sasuke's bring it all crumbling down is better. Good change happens gradually, but also the other reason is that the series wouldn't be as interesting or able to continue if it was all peaceful in the end

[@Sp_cehobo]

@@Miahren15 I mean but he could’ve tried harder at the very least he doesn’t try to punish anyone for how they treated the uchiha or him and to my knowledge didn’t even remove the side branch seal, I feel like if the series showed Naruto at least *trying* to make the effort rather than just bring okay with forwarding the status quo

[@emmarod8746]

Everyone is a critic without being the ones to actually have to deal with these monumental task themselves. The Leaf village is way better then it had ever been under Naruto’s leadership as Hokage. Heck, the whole ninja world is far better then it has ever been because of Naruto. Naruto has made many positive changes in the Leaf and the world and people who say he didn’t are insulting Naruto and all of the efforts he made to create change with his blood, sweat, tears, and unyielding determination.

[@berilsevvalbekret772]

​@@emmarod8746the difference is Naruto is actually THE strongest being in the fucking world. He HAS the power to actually tore it all down and not have a single life lost. The problem with Naruto's ending isn't the change is gradual. The dissappointment is because nothing meaningful actually changed.

[@emmarod8746]

@@berilsevvalbekret772 Doesn’t matter how powerful Naruto becomes. Itachi said it himself “No matter how powerful you become, don't try to shoulder everything alone. If you do, you will surely fail.” Naruto would never do what your saying because he respects the freedom and freewill of other people. Your asking for basically a equivalent of a Naruto that is like Injustice Superman. There is a reason why real Superman doesn’t just overthrown the governments of the world and run it the way he thinks it should be even through he absolutely has the power too. Its because he knows that path isn’t leading to anykind of true better world and would just be replacing it with just another form of a tyranny and corruption.

[@filip.henryk]

Now that I think about it, this makes Tsunade's story even more sad in a way. Because of the expectations the village has towards Shinobi, especially one like her who descended from the first Hokage, she ended up losing her kid brother and her lover who wanted to make the village a bit better. She totally made the right decision to leave the village and retire as she had every reason to. Then she basically had no choice but to return because of the risk of losing even more people in Konoha due to Orochimaru, and even then she ends up losing more people precious to her because of the shinobi world. This is a great video! I think this adds so much more depth to the nuance of the characters that I never thought about. Subscribed! (edit: spelled a name wrong.)

[@ryuusuk33]

Konoha Leaf Village is so evil in reality as an adult

[@krishkrish8213]

Why?

[@Gypsygeekfreak17]

@@krishkrish8213 think about it they are saying that sasuke shouldnt find justice and keep quicet about it

[@krishkrish8213]

@Gypsygeekfreak17 In any nation-state, internal stability is paramount. Anyone who threatens this stability often faces punishment, whether imprisonment or more severe consequences. The Uchiha clan’s plot to stage a coup against the Hidden Leaf Village was a direct threat to its stability, which would have severely weakened the village and left it vulnerable to exploitation by rival nations. The Leaf held a unique position of strength with powerful clans, skilled shinobi, and the Nine-Tails, making it a prime target if weakened. Itachi, understanding the gravity of this situation, acted out of a profound sense of duty. By sacrificing his family and bearing the label of a traitor, he saved his village from potential collapse and spared it from external threats that could have followed. He took on this burden to preserve the village’s future and uphold what he believed was his true duty. For Sasuke, choosing to rebel or take revenge would mean rejecting his brother's ultimate sacrifice and disregarding everything Itachi stood for. Itachi’s actions weren’t just for the village’s sake but for Sasuke’s safety and future as well. Any move Sasuke made against the Leaf would only dishonour Itachi’s legacy and undermine the peace his brother gave everything to protect.

[@ashockmizer914]

Execute order 66 for the Shinobi Purge.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Has anyone ever questioned, "Why does the Shinobi system exist?"

[@erikthomsen4768]

It is supposed to be an improvement upon the warring states period where every clan fought for themselves. In this respect Hashirama succeeded. But he never managed to develop the village system beyond feuding city states. That’s why Naruto is the peacemaker.

[@niapurdue230]

He's not a peace maker, he's a time bomb. If all the peace depends on one dude, what happens if that dude dies? Does stuff fall apart? Probably, with no one to keep things in check.

[@erikthomsen4768]

@@niapurdue230 To create lasting peace has Naruto built on the efforts of his predecessors to create certain institutions to temper the near constant clash of interests. The Shinobi Union could collapse without him. That is true. But international forums like the UN and the nonproliferation of fantasy nukes (Bijuu) have done much to ensure peace.

[@claymusicoff5663]

@@niapurdue230funny we saw Naruto be removed from The story and that didn’t happen..x

[@niapurdue230]

@claymusicoff5663 really? Boruto doesn't really interest me, so I wouldn't know

[@FrankieSavino]

Here for the re-watch. Your content is killer King

[@danieladolphe2227]

Itachi himself acknowledges the way he went about things was wrong but thenarrative says otherwise

[@dotaheaven633]

Umm when? What i read from light novel is that Itachi is simply done with Uchiha This is his quote "There is no future with this idiotic clan" Then later report back to danzo and agree he will be the one destroying Uchiha, but Sasuke life is spared

[@jiero3253]

​@@dotaheaven633he does so when talking to Sasuke as an edo

[@hobbesfield1082]

The tumblr narutosideblog girlies have been saying this for years lmao i'm so glad it's getting more mainstream-fandom attention, lots of your vids just get right into the issues, I apprieciate it. Subbing after todays binge watch lol

[@saulgoodman8788]

this must be your best video yet. this video singlehandedly changed how i view on my favorite anime of all time. hats off brother

[@dotaheaven633]

He never mentioned the length of effort by Itachi, Shisui, Tobirama, and Hiruzen to calm Uchiha down He fail to recognize why Shinobi like Kisame needed to eliminate his comrade for? To prevent calamity He fail to mention why Rin needed to die? To prevent calamity Itachi Uchiha even in his frustration says " there is no future in this idiotic clan " The choice is this, Uchiha vs Konoha, in which Itachi knows they will be eliminated , that's why he and danzo agree to spare Sasuke

[@revengance4149]

@@dotaheaven633 you are right in a utilitarian sense, that killing the clan saved more lives than it claimed. For Itachi, I'm willing to believe it was more about peace than loyalty to the village. Even so we can still question the system that forced a 14 year old to make a choice so brutal, most adults could never make it

[@dotaheaven633]

@@revengance4149 the system? Do you watch the show or read the manga? Is it the systems or the human in general? Why do you separate them, You think you're above Human ideology? Im the context of the show Itachi volunteer, Uchiha have been extremely difficult and racist since the beginning

[@revengance4149]

@@dotaheaven633 systems shape the people that live under them. A system like the leaf that employs child soldiers and forces people like Itachi through such trauma and hardship are absolutely deserving of condemnation but more importantly reevaluation and reform. Maybe you can look at an unjust system and bury your head in the sand, but I cannot, even if it's a fictional system. Sasuke was right, the village system needs a revolution. The Uchiha are prone to hatred, but does that mean they deserve to be genocided? Hashirama's brothers were killed by the Uchiha just as Madara's were by the Senju. The cycle of hatred applies to all humans both in Naruto and the real world the Uchiha wanted to revolt because they hated how the leaf treated them. The hatred you criticize was born from their mistreatment. I also cannot remember them being more racist than other clans. Proud? yes, but not more than the Hyugas. They put their clan above the village and would risk it's safety, but that's to be expected when a people are oppressed. Oppressed by the institutions put in place by Tobirama who would obviously mistrust the Uchiha after they killed his brothers during the war, which again the Senju also did to Uchiha children.

[@lunsen402]

Lest we forget the land of fire (and most if not all the other counteries which the various ninja villages are part of) are a feudal state with daimyo (Warlords) at the top. The shinobi villages are quite literly military arm of a autocratic feudal state. Essentially the shinobi system and its nationalism is built to prop up a fundamentaly unequal and militaristic system of government. I do find that quite intressting and think its a shame that system wasn´t explored more.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Imagine if the Uchiha Clan left Leaf Village and started their own.

[@SlugSage]

They'd have a lot blood on their hands too. Every nation exists via force

[@dotaheaven633]

​@@SlugSageyou're beneficiary of your own nation's, your culture, your language, your religion, your life, security! If it wasn't for sacrifice and willingness to rise together as nation's by your predecessor and protect that identity, you will not be here Everything you know, everything you enjoy is not thought by you, you're infact belongs to greater community, that is Nation's Regardless if you love or hate that nations of yours, you're here because they prevail

[@ADM.II.]

​@@SlugSage I don't even think that the leaf would allow them to secede (angry danzo noises).

[@croussant]

Imagine if Alaska seceded to join Russia and took the Prudhoe Bay oil fields with them. On second thought, let's not imagine that. Let's imagine the moon exploding instead, that's cheerier.

[@croussant]

@@dotaheaven633 And if 1300 human beings in Africa hadn't survived on the brink of extinction for 100,000 years a million years ago, we wouldn't be here either. 1,300! That's about how many people died in the 10/7 attack in one day! That's how close we came to blinking out. We belong to the greater community that is humanity. We owe our existence to the human race, not to the nationalism that will probably cause human extinction in nuclear war.

[@That_kind_of_orc]

Village system in a way is much worse than warring states period because it became not just clans against each other but entire nations against each other with nukes (jinchuuriki)

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Yes the sage of six paths gives human chakra and they didn't use it to understand each other but kill each other and wage war and he made things worse and hashirama also made things worse with the shnobi system

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Even in Boruto, nothing has changed about the Ninja system.

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Yes naruto didn't keep his promise to nagato about the rian valige and let orochimaru not face any punishment for his crimes in brouto orochimaru is still doing human experiment and naruto is fine with it it shows how much of hypocrite naruto is

[@Aequitas_RJ]

Kinda hard to make peace when Kishimoto wrote god aliens into his story so want to destroy the world. It couldn't just be "the system is flawed and peace is the answer" because Naruto (aka Kishimoto's narcissistic self-insert) NEEDED to be the strongest ninja and fix everything just by existing.

[@nuhiolaweej8754]

Cmon bro? You serious?

[@ulightronx4259]

This is exactly why I love one piece. One piece directly attacks those themes of nationalism, and it’s main characters are all nationless outcasts seeking the liberation of all peoples from an immensely tyrannical authoritarian government that commits genocide just like it’s another Tuesday.

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Yes me too I hate naruto because he doesn't change the croupt system and supports but I love luffy because he fates against the croupt government systems

[@datoda3593]

Wouldn't it be better to protest against corruption and tyranny within the nation and culture you were born into and are as a result are the most familiar with for the sake of liberation of said nation, instead of opting out and declaring yourself "nationless" and fighting tyranny that way? The whole concept of nationless people have always seemed dumb to me. People are inherently tribalistic, we defined ourselves based on tribal affiliations, tribes ceased to exist and then we defined ourselves based on religion, religiosity withdrew and now we define ourselves based on nationality. Even if we become nationless we will still define and separate ourselves based on other things such as ideologies for examples. I dont think nationalism is something to be fought against, rather it can be used to rally people behind you

[@Steven9567]

nationalism? ummm you mean globalism seeing the most tyrannical is the world goverment and the nationless pirate most of them are bad

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Hiruzen may have been a powerful Ninja, but was a weak leader.

[@asweetlullaby]

He's no leader, just took decisions like his mind was foggy or wandering somewhere or daydreaming, whatever...

[@Generalized615]

I think there's a level where the issue is simply the author doesn't have a sociological or political perspective where they examine their own society and world but does have moral compass and does believe people can be good. What I mean as a direct example is how Naruto fundamentally teaches and preaches the idea that people from other nations, people who are different or strange you need to take seriously and offer empathy for, but at the same time as the video points out- you should kill and die for a country because outsiders threaten it.

[@Generalized615]

I haven't seen Boruto but I doubt it expands on this, I did wonder if Naruto as Hokage takes any steps to stop the suffering of children atleast. Boruto could be an interesting narrative about the questions of childhood and the dangers of the world

[@claymusicoff5663]

No where does Naruto say you should kill or die for the village. Literally no where. All those who did that end up dead. The show ended with ALL NINJAS NATIONS allying with eachother to save the world. What are you guys reading??

[@Generalized615]

@@claymusicoff5663 their purpose as ninja is to kill and die, otherwise they'd be normal people and not given knives and told to go into combat situations lmao

[@claymusicoff5663]

@@Generalized615yes… hence why in the first arc… The show says that is… wrong… remember Naruto wanted to be on a statue specifically for those who died for the village… and was made to look CHILDISH for wanting to?? Or are we going to ignore the first episodes

[@Generalized615]

@@claymusicoff5663 the video points out its wrong, the show points out its wrong, and the show then reinforces its fine and does nothing to change the status quo thats the whole point lol, idk what your hangup is, you can be a fan of something and criticize it

[@thebrokenpuppet2714]

Commenting to boost this in the algorithm cuz of the re-upload

[@Khichira2012]

You've done it again, Sage Rain! Spectacular analysis

[@Timquan.]

Ive had the thought for years that Sasuke should have died in his final fight with Naruto triggering him to adopt Sasuke's viewpoint and forgoe becoming Hokage, aka part of the problem and actually try to dismantle or largely reform the Shinobi system. The fact that Sasuke ends up compitulating to Natuto's beliefs is quite sad as Sasuke and Madara were completley right and his cooperation only enables the continuation of a failed system. In the end Sasuke did more Jail time than Orochimaru, a man who commited multiple acts of treason and murderd 2 sitting Kage in the Sand and Leaf village which are politically attached to the hip by the end of the series... Thats the epitome of a broken system.

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Naruto and hashirama have a twisted sense of morality when they praise itachi for committing genocide but then again naruto called obito the man that killed his parents the coolest and let orochimaru not face any punishment for his crimes in brouto orochimaru still doing human experiment and naruto is fine with it it shows how much of hypocrite naruto is

[@marko1263]

You mention Orochimaru but what about the 2 Elders, who voted for the massacre and were not only not punished but even retained their posts well into Boruto. And apparently Sasuke is fine with this for whatever reason.

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

@marko1263 naruto basically forgives every one and doesn't make people face any punishment for thier crimes

[@VanshJadhav-i2h]

But in boruto the corrupt shinobi system changing and all would not matter as the story has shifted to aliens attacking from outer space.

[@PcCAvioN]

Capitulating

[@PunoBendito]

Great video but imma just say this. TOBIRAMA deserves the most blame for the direction the Leaf went and he should be hated far more than other Hokage(Hiruzen) because he messed up far worse than any other Hokage

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Yes I agree funny thing is that Orochimaru of all people says that he created most of problems tobirama racism for the uchiha is what made them hated by the village and killed them it was also inherent by his students danzo and he created the zombie jutsu which requires human sacrifice it fucked up Orochimaru himself said that the jutsu that tobirama created is evil one of evilness characters in naruto says that to tobirama and tobirama says that nothing is my fault tobirama is like real life world leaders who even when they make mistakes say it not my fault and don't take responsibility for thier actions and try to justify thier racism

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

What do think of I said

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

No wonder Pain destroyed the Leaf Village in Shippuden. And later, Kawaki in Boruto: Two Blue Vortex.

[@zzzzzz9784]

How many times are you gonna comment bro?

[@teleportsaroundyou4629]

⁠@@zzzzzz9784 you really asking “Spammy” the Hedgehog how many times he’s gonna post? 🤨

[@akiraman7664]

Konoha is extremely corrupted and dark

[@SlugSage]

Every nation is😊

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Naruto and hashirama have a twisted sense of morality when they praise itachi for committing genocide but then again naruto called obito the man that killed his parents the coolest guy ever naruto is not evil but he sometimes has a twisted sense of morality

[@akiraman7664]

@@dytgyfgyffuh243 itachi prevented a war that could have killed millions of people the uchiha wanted to start a war with konoha which would've led to an international world war. So i would say itachi did the necessary thing and it don't matter whay you or I think of it he killed few hundreds and saved millions of people. And naruto calling obito cool was in reference to the obito who wanted to become hokage not the terrorist obito And hashirama called itachi a greater shinobi he didn't call him a good or bad person he said a "greater shinobi" in naruto a shinobi is some who endure. that's what defines a shinobi You misunderstood hashirama

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

It feels like your brainwashed by the will of fire propaganda

[@ADM.II.]

​@@akiraman7664 When the leaf was packed by pain, did the stone and cloud invade?

[@black.sasuke.uchiha]

This video is so meaningful that KZbin recommended this to me twice, after I already finished it day of upload I believe.

[@croussant]

Astronomical arrogance, however true to life. Tne Leat commited genocide against the Uchiha (women & chiildren too), then Kakashi had the nerve to consider Sasuke evil because he sought to avenge the mass murder of his clan in their sleep When Pain confronted Tsunade about Leaf war crimes, she said "yeah but it's different when we do it."

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

The hidden leaf village are hypocrites evil and assholes the problem is that the show is based towards the hidden leaf village and the will of fire that no matter what crime they do or how many people they kill the hidden leaf village are always the good guys because thier home of naruto who is the hero of the story

[@lukic9276]

Kishimoto fucked up on Itachi's characterization. The guy killed children and women and then the story and characters praised the guy for it. It's like praising Stalin

[@loganlandry1169]

Obito killed all the children and all the women out side of his parents. This is later reveled that he was apart of the massacre.

[@lukic9276]

Obito killed the police force, Itachi killed civilians

[@ADM.II.]

​@@loganlandry1169 Still doesn't make itachi a Saint.

[@Aequitas_RJ]

​@@loganlandry1169another Kishimoto retcon to polish the turd that is Itach's twisted morality

[@croussant]

Itachi reminds me of the President in a movie called 'Failsafe.' A technical glitch causes an accidental nuclear strike that destroys Moscow. The President tries to convince Russia that it was an accident, but Russia says they have to retaliate whether it as an accident or not. So the President offers to destroy New York City with American nuclear weapons as a sacrifice to avoid all out nuclear war. Russia accepts the sacrifice of New York and total war is avoided. Bottom line: less people died. Matybe if Itachi had killed Danzo and Fugaku, then publicly committed seppuku, the slaughter and the civil war could have been avoided.

[@marckrieger3277]

That was a great analysis. I never got this deep but dam i had some discusions in forums back in the day with people who thought Tobirama and Itachi did nothing wrong.

[@damarkisallen1013]

This is such a deep and interesting perspective of the series I’m actually blown away but how good

[@pseudopanda2538]

Naruto from the beginning of the series tried to rebel against the shinobi system then later on instead of fighting back against this oppressive system he became the very thing he hated. As the story goes on his goals become him wanting to better the shinobi system and not overthrow it’s current structure. It's kind of funny in hindsight that Nagato did have a bit of a point. Not in his extremist methods, but how blind Naruto is too politics and his world view. Instead Naruto rebelling against the system that destroyed and ruined dozens of victims he continues it.

[@claymusicoff5663]

That’s not true. Never once did Naruto suggest being a rebel. He always wanted to be hokage, a reformist.

[@EvilWeiRamirez]

I was talking about this with my kids. The entire system is built on child soldiers. My kids do fencing and I even discuss the idea with them through what that environment is. It is labor paid for by parents for the glory of the child, but also the wages able to be earned by the coaches. Kids are pushed, but is it for the sake of the children, or for the sake of capitalism? So much of this world is built on child labor.

[@lidu6363]

Incredible. I can't believe I stumbled upon not one, but two amazing channels in one day, thanks to the collaboration 🔥

[@topcat59]

The Uchiha clan really are the biggest victims of the leafs evil.😔🐱

[@grandcanyon-d4d]

Danzo is Henry Kissinger and LBJ put toghether

[@shonyeezy5672]

Yeah when Bro jumped off the ledge after giving his eyes, it showed as sociopathic dedication to the village. Sad as hell. Itachi is the perfect example of what they were trying to stop when they made the village.

[@aquatickuri]

I always love your videos and they always make me rethink things I never even thought about. I really loved this video, especially because I never put too much thought into Naruto as a series, and this really makes me look at things so differently when rewatching it

[@btchidz]

Almost thought I was going crazy 😂😂

[@lasseehrenreich5502]

me too

[@sehguHlegiN]

This is going to be the best vid yet

[@brandonbarnes9681]

This anime really showed me the dangers of nationalism.

[@MrHitenryu]

Incredible video essay, I started watching Naruto again and started to feel exactly what you described in this video. Child soldiers suffering for the sins of their fathers and their country.

[@einatliberman4186]

briliant work as ever! Whenevr I need a reminder of how deep and mature is the story of Naruto I turn to your vids, ho, wise sage.

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Whether humans had chakra or not, the Cycle if Hatred wouldn't continued, regardless.

[@Aequitas_RJ]

Yeah, but they'd have to use weapons and not SUPERPOWERS to kill each other without the ninja system. The biggest evil in Naruto is Hagoromo for starting this system.

[@MehOhWell222]

That implies that you don’t end up with similar issues in the absence of superpowers. Looking into a history book that is patently false. What the powers do is massively spike the influence one person can have through individual strength rather than needing to rely on charisma and manipulation to achieve the same ends. In short the power amplifies the scale of one man’s impact and the flaws of their character in equal measure.

[@Yungmoneyswagmonkey415]

Been a fan for over 5 years you’re cooking man

[@spacecowboy2885]

Literally saved it to my watch later, but then didn’t see it there and forgot about it. Thank god for the reupload can’t wait to watch

[@sauchmz]

Commenting to boost for the algorithm for the re-upload 👍

[@oomreni5820]

A fantastic video about critiquing the systems that are portrayed in media, rather than individual characters. This is what analyzing the themes of narative art looks like!

[@AlBundy287]

This was marvelous. Hats off

[@sebastianfeuerstein9306]

A much needed perspective in the fandom, thank you!

[@minieyke]

For a long time I've thought that Sasuke had the right idea about getting rid of the leaf village. It's a genocidal entity that uses its citizens to enrich its ruling class at the expense of those ciizens' lives and well-being.

[@Deezymanor]

Glad this was made, this is not spoken about nearly enough! So many more examples!

[@giannixx]

Great video as always! I just feel the need to represent the side of my favorite character, and to emphasize your points in my own way. The thing with Itachi is that, at least that was explicitly Kishimoto's intention, he was put in an impossible situation. Every time I see someone criticizing Itachi's actions, they fail to suggest something else he could have done. The story praises Itachi for different reasons. Hashirama praises him because, as he killed his best friend Madara in order to protect the village (the community of thousands of people they've brought together and out of the Warring States period), Itachi killed his clan in order to protect the village. Hashirama is praising his self-sacrifice. Hashirama would have killed himself if that meant achieving peace between the Senju and the Uchiha, just as Itachi would have if it meant preventing the coup and the massacre. In Itachi's case, that was not possible. Danzou, on the other hand, praises Itachi for the dangerous nationalistic ideals you mentioned, to him a proper Shinobi is one who does everything for the greater good of the village. Sadly, those who hold the Will of Fire and desire peace are unable to stop the ones who only care about "the village". Hashirama was too weak to not be influenced by Tobirama, who would later rise to power himself, just as Hiruzen was too weak to prevent Danzou from holding significant political power. As for the alternatives I mentoned. What else could Itachi, a 12-13 yr old child soldier, have done? *Refuse to kill his clan. Fine, then Danzou would send squadrons of ANBU to massacre them anyway, and Itachi would have to choose to die with the Uchiha or to remain as the last Uchiha in the village; *Refuse the idea of the massacre at all. Let's say he joins the coup, becoming a rebel as well. This would cause a civil war which the Leaf would probably still win, but all surviving Uchiha, including him and Sasuke, would probably either die fighting (something not alien to old timey Japanese-esque people) or be executed. The Uchiha would have died anyway plus a big part of the rest of the village's population. The infrastructure itself would also have been destroyed. Hiruzen himself might ended up dying. Then the village would be vulnerable to foreign invasions. Even during the "peaceful" times of part 1, after the relatively small damage caused by the Konoha Crush, Tsunade was overworking the ninja because the Leaf could not afford to show other countries weakness, both because that would incur the risk of people looking for other villages to request missions and because other villages might try to launch an invasion. The same happens after Pain's attack, the village is weary of foreign shinobi because they know they are vulnerable. *Kill Danzou. This would make Itachi a traitor and he would be either arrested or killed. Either way, Fugaku would get mad and the other Uchiha would also see their prodigy, the son of the clan leader, being imprisoned or killed as another attack of the village against them, fueling rebellion even more. If Itachi instead chose to flee, maybe taking Sasuke with him, they would leave the rest of the clan to their fate and live as criminals, being hunted down by anyone with a bingo book, which was the fate Shisui feared. If Itachi instead chose to kill Danzou and then side with the Uchiha, again you have a civil war breaking out. *Try to prevent both the coup and the massacre. That was already impossible by the time Itachi received the mission. It would have to be done earlier. According to the novels, Shisui was planning on using Kotoamatsukami to change Fugaku's mind so that they could strike some kind of deal with the village. What happened? Danzou stole his eye and branded him an enemy of the village for the Root ANBU to eliminate. When Itachi comes back as an Edo Tensei and sees what Sasuke had become, he realizes he had failed. In his last moments, he expresses his regrets to Sasuke, saying that he tried to do everything alone, and he tried to isolate Sasuke from the situation because he was an innocent child, but that if he had told Sasuke the truth maybe they would've been able to change their father and their clan. So at the end Itachi himself recognized that maybe there could have been another way. Thinking realistically, I don't think that would have worked either. Though I'm not sure if that's what Kishimoto wants us to take from this. There's a "maybe" after all. I think the point of the scene is showing Itachi's regret, setting up how that will affect Sasuke, and emphasizing what he told Naruto earlier, that he failed because he tried to solve everything alone (just like Madara did and like Sasuke would attempt to do), not to convince us the coup and the massacre would have been prevented and the historical discriminatory policies of the Leaf towards the Uchiha, as well as the tension between both, would have been solved had Itachi chose another option. *Kill himself like Shisui did. This would solve nothing and Itachi's death would likely be seen as a covert assassination from the Leaf's side. The Uchiha Police Force already suspected Itachi had killed Shisui, and they knew Itachi, as an ANBU, was a direct subordinate to Hiruzen. They had no proof he was a double agent, but they suspected it, although for the wrong reason. The point is made when Obito tells the truth to Sasuke that there was nothing else Itachi could have done. He chose to side with the Leaf because this would result in the least number of deaths. He had to answer the trolley problem and he chose to kill 1 person instead of 5, and he didn't have Six Paths powers to make the trolley fly and force a brute force a third option. Madara points out the hypocrisy of Hashirama's system and the Uchiha clan massacre only served to prove his point. He chose to force people into an artificial reality. Nagato chose to rely on mutual assured destruction. Sasuke chose to become a "fair" dictator. All of them recognized that the root problem was the Shinobi system itself (Minato as well: "as long as the shinobi system exists to perpetuate the cycle of hatred, more Pains will arise". And Madara believed the problem lied on Human nature itself on top of that, that's why they can't have free will). So although Itachi is praised as a hero or a proper shinobi, that is not because of his objective, Kantian actions (the massacre/genoci de), but for his decision of prioritizing the village as a whole rather than his own clan. Back to the trolley problem, when posed with the dilemma between killing your own mother or 5 innocent people, Itachi chose to kill the least amount of people regardless of them being his family. That is generally understood as a hard, but morally correct decision when there are no other alternatives. I think this is where Kishimoto is coming from, because while the story praises Itachi, it also villanizes Danzou. Itachi was the soldier who received a mission and was put in a position of being able to prevent a civil war by sheding the blood of his own. Much more to blame were those in power: Danzou, for being the main driving force, Hiruzen, for being a weak pacifist, Homura and Koharu for being weak minded politicians easily influenced by Danzou. We also have to keep in mind that Itach had to deal with the looming threat of "Madara", as he knew that the 9 tails attack had been caused by the masked man and that he would eventually try again, so he used the fact that he was going to receive the blame for the massacre anyway to join the Akatsuki, so that in return Obito wouldn't attack the village, while at the same time using his presence in the Akatsuki as an spy to benefit the village. Itachi his best at the time, that's all. He himself shows regret later on. Other culprits of the massacre that are more guilty than Itachi: Tobirama, for trying to eliminate Madara's political presence in the village and for stablishing the discriminatory policies against the Uchiha and alienating them from the village, and for perpetuating the dangerous aspect of nationalism, which Danzou would inherit; Obito, for causing the 9 tails attack (which would be blamed on the Uchiha, the only ones able to control Kurama because of the Sharingan) as well as Minato's death; Fugaku and his followers, for chosing to organize a coup instead of trying to negociate further with Hiruzen; Madara, for choosing to abandon the village instead of working alongside Hashirama despite Tobirama's hatred towards him and the Uchiha, and planting the seeds of doubt in the Uchiha that would later germinate in Fugaku's coup. (Had to break up the text for YT, I'll continue in another comment)

[@giannixx]

(Follow up) Idk if it's just me but I never read Itachi's portrayal as Naruto, Hashirama, or Kishimoto himself trying to justify the massacre because it was done for the greater good of the village. Itachi is another victim of the Shinobi system that reduces human beings to tools of war and soldiers for their villages. He's not much different from Zabuza or Kisame, who were in a sense betrayed by their own villages. Not much different from Nagato, Obito, or Madara, who realized the inherent injustice of the world and in despair sought whatever solution they could find to achieve the next best thing to real peace, which they deemed impossible. Not much different from Kakashi, who also was an ANBU member and had killed numerous people "for the village", who took lives because that was his mission. That's why Kakashi got mad at Zabuza for disregarding Haku's sacrifice, not for fighting against them, and in the end showed his respect as a fellow Shinobi by carrying him to Haku's side. When Naruto and Sasuke question him afterwards, we get the panel at 4:40. Kakashi says it's the same thing in the Leaf. They all know they are tools for the State, yet they live their lives and follow their missions for their homelands because that's what they can do, because they have no solution themselves, just like Naruto was rendered speechless in front of Pain when confronted with the hypocrisy of the Leaf. Naruto then decides that he won't follow this path, that he will find his own ninja way. In the first arc of Part 2 we see again how Naruto is able to see beyond the confines of the Leaf. Chiyo doesn't understand why he cares so much about a kid that isn't even from his country, and at this point she still held a grudge against the Leaf for their history of conflict with the Sand and for Sakumo having killed her son. Kakashi explains that Naruto is also a Jinchuriki and because of that he's able to understand Gaara's suffering, that to Naruto one's nationality is meaningless. We can also look at another fan favorite character, Minato, the guy who understood the flawed nature of the Shinobi system, yet he himself has a ruthless killer during the 3rd Great Ninja War. In this sense all Shinobi are the same, all of them are soldiers, killers of other Shinobi, of their own comrades, of civillians, serving as tools for the State. Only, those who chose to leave their villages and act on their own are branded as criminals and put on a bingo book. However, those with power, such as Danzou, the Raikage (attempting to kidnap Kushina and later Hinata), or Ohnoki (hiring the Akatsuki for national benefit), can afford to command violence and atrocities without suffering legal consequences. They are not criminals, they are protecting the interests of their villages. Again and again all antagonists come back to the Land of Waves arc. Itachi is no exception. Just as Kakashi understood Zabuza's struggle (because he himself understood the weight of being no more than an asset to the State, specially given what happened to his father), Naruto was able to emphasize with Itachi's. Faced with an impossible situation, Itachi chose the option he believed would spare more lives, and sacrificed his own life and happiness for the sake of the Leaf, not for the State, but for its inhabitants. Again, that's the reason Hashirama praised him, because Shinobi are not those who stab their hearts, but those who endure (the etymological meaning of the word, unrelated to the Kanji meaning). But then again, the story doesn't tell us that this is the true solution to the cycle of hatred. Naruto finds the solution in choosing not to exact revenge upon Nagato, upon the man who klled his master and destroyed "the village", because Naruto was able to emphasize with this man from a foreign nation his own land has exploited in the past (Naruto here has the moral high ground even over Japan, who refuses to recognize their war crimes from WWII). Naruto finds the correct solution in choosing not to give up on Sasuke and refusing to be "the hero who killed him". As Madara noted, Hashirama changed, he wasn't able to keep his optimistic ideals because Madara forced him to kill him, otherwise the village would be destroyed. In Madara's eyes, Itachi is another failed idealist, no wonder he was praised by Hashirama, for they were the same in the end. In Obito's eyes, they're both worthless scum that only served to prove that their world was hopeless. Madara and Sasuke were correct in their criticisms, their visual prowess allowing them to see the inconsistencies of the world's systems, only they chose the wrong solutions. Naruto, according to Kishimoto, found the correct solution, or at the very least was commited to keep trying to seek it, as was Jiraiya's wish. However, the series ends right after the conclusion of the war. We don't see the effects of Naruto's efforts. In an ideal sequel, Naruto's and Sasuke's mission would be to prove Madara wrong, to prove that mutual understanding is possible in a large scale (as it was already proved since the first arc that it's possbile between two individuals) and that true peace can be achieved. However, it wouldn't be fair to expect Kishimoto to show us a credible solution since we ourselves don't have that answer in the real world. Btw I'm not claiming you're stating that Naruto as a story promotes nationalistic ideals, I'm more so countering common Itachi criticisms you find on the internet and going over what I believe Kishimoto is trying to say about the nature of violence and the flawed, exploitative systems we create "while craving for peace", as Madara would say, and how the story paints Itachi as a gray character (as almost all of them are) and doesn't expect the reader to take him as a paragon of morality, but rather as another symptom of a flawed, brutal, and corrupt system.

[@giannixx]

(Follow up 2) I don't think the story is trying to make us forgive Danzou or is trying to romanticize his actions. Instead we are given insight into his thoughts and motives as he himself reflects upon his life during his last moments. Until then Danzou had been portrayed as a generic "evil", corrupt politician. Yet even Danzou was Human, his last moments only confirm that he truly believed in the ideology he inherited from Tobirama and that he used to command the Root. Most people who commit terrible, heinous acts irl do not think of themselves as evil, as the villains. No matter the nature or situation of the crime, besides some exceptions, they always have a self-told narrative, an excuse, to justify their actions. Each person is the hero of their own story, after all. The difference between people like Tobirama or Danzou, and Itachi or Kakashi, is that the former two did terrible things and believed in their righteousness, while the latter also commited acts of violence, but were tormented by the weight of their actions. Kishimoto showing us Danzou's backstory isn't him being a nationalistic apologist, it's just good storytelling. Almost every single character in Naruto is gray. True evil does not lie within people, but on the systems they create. That's one of the core theses of the story. And regarding the last section of the video, I believe Naruto and Sasuke not dismantling the village and Shinobi system or making significant efforts towards changing it is not to be seen as Kishimoto or the story trying to pass on nationalistic values to its readers, but rather a result of a rushed ending for the sake of the stablishment of a sequel. And regarding Boruto, that's not Kishimoto's story either way. I believe that, when you take a critial look at the series, you can clearly see that its message is one about empathy over ignorance, love over hatred, hope over despair, and its qualities are actually rather humanistic and anti-nationalistic. As I said before, an ideal sequel would have to deal with the challenges of trying to undo thousands of years of militarized cultures (as the nationalistic aspects you criticize were present before the formation of States and even before the time of Hagoromo and the dissemination of chakra originally meant as a means of achieving peace that only ended up making wars more gruesome, one of the discoveries that led Madara to despair, according to his own words), because even though Naruto and Sasuke have the powers of gods and no one can oppose them, they can't simply impose peace onto the world, that's no different from Sasuke's idea of revolution, or Madara's Infinite Tsukuyomi. So having the physical power to change the world is only half of the struggle. Hashirama himself, the God of Shinobi, unrivaled after Madara's "death", understood that he likely wouldn't be able to achieve his dream within his lifetime and would need to leave that to the next generations. Seems to me like a very explicit call to action to the youth, no? And, as I also said before, you can't expect Kishimoto to actually depict the correct changes being enacted while we ourselves don't know how to solve the same problem in the real world. Not to mention that such a sequel would better fit a seinen series, any overly hopefull solution would feel artificial and forced.

[@brenton-_-9588]

KZbin age restriction system is just to good. Naked yoga is all good, but Naruto deep dives? KZbin "NOOOOO."

[@Grayson-Winchester]

Hidden stone buying their way out of the affairs Hidden rain is „don’t threaten us or we will threaten you Hidden sand is just lackluster Hidden leaf is all about the winners get to make history Hidden cloud breaks peace treaties

[@dmn12382]

Crazy how the Raikage tried to kidnap both Kushina and Hinata, but when Sasuke attempted to take his brother, he completely loses it

[@Grayson-Winchester]

@@dmn12382 he explained it himself. For them it’s all about getting as strong as possible. So they would be totally upset if anyone tries to steal from them. Hypocrisy to its core

[@OuTKasTBaiTKasTo7]

Every ninjas in the Naruto verse are technically child soldiers who grew up to be adult ninjas.

[@sunnywestside4210]

This video was great. Thank you for this 🔥

[@mira7821]

18:29 I mean… there’s a genocide happening in Gaza and Sudan right now and most people are indifferent about it. No need to look at 100 years or 50 years back when we actually see what’s happening

[@mira7821]

we found the genocidal zionist everyone

[@mira7821]

@ do you know… the difference between Gaza and West Bank? Oh nah nevermind “if” is already telling

[@mira7821]

Zionist coming in 3..2…1

[@PinkoChoa]

​@@JudgeDredd-zc2yk that's the same thing what barcode mustache did , he waited until the population boomed to do it , which is why like it's said to be 11 mil dead bc of his plan

[@Steven9567]

south africa and europe too

[@danimustatea9090]

the fact that naruto has been treated as a weapon of mass destruction but when he not only saved the village with an s class jutsu and was only told how to get better because tsunade which was a named product of nepotiism which also forced while drunk a bet with kid naruto is confirming the fact he was groomed to be a child soldier as so was sasuke from the water incident even more than the fact that the third hogake although his dad was the fourth also tsunade made him fght in a batlle between the 3 sannin because he while drunk had a bet with him being drunk for a neckklace

[@SpammytheHedgehog]

Madara was right about the Shinobi system. That's why he wanted to end it with the Infinite Tsukuyomi.

[@asweetlullaby]

On this one, you are wrong. He wanted to bring artificial peace. For example, if he were to bring this peace he wanted, it would instead fulfill the needs of everybody, just that. True peace doesn't just mean happiness, but it also means bringing harmony.

[@momosmily14]

Thanks so much! Watching the anime as a child/teen some things and lines of thinking always felt strange to me, but I wasn't old or knowledgeable enough to understand what it was, for example I never understood why Sasuke was trying to start a coup. Thanks for putting all my thoughts into words

[@PlanetZoidstar]

I''m glad you bring up the failure of the narrative of Naruto to stick to its original themes. That the Shinobi World is inherently flawed and needs to change because it breeds generational suffering. Naruto was meant to be the one to tear down the Shinobi system or at least restructure it into one that values the lives of its Shinobi...Fails. The status quo is maintained. Much like in Harry Potter. We're shown a flawed Wizarding World and repeatedly it is made explicit all the ways that it is broken...Yet Harry Potter becomes part of that system and actively perpetuates it as an adult.

[@BrickDaniels-qu7bz]

Ka-ching! Your video is all sevens. You made the right thing at the right time.

[@edgarmuniz8331]

What a wonderful analysis.

[@connectyours]

Thank goodness somebody finally does a deep dive of Naruto's depiction of militarism in the Shinobi system

[@tosh471]

Never really fully internalized the narratives around the nationalism, and the political issues that were depicted in Naruto. I thought everyone was operating out of their true character, or individualism. Of course, when it first came out I was a child, but looking at it through this lens, gives a level of brevity to the plot that I honestly missed. By the time the series, and I, had matured I wasn't as invested in the deeper plot points, and got lost in the action as a casual fan. It's quite a looming point to think about how Naruto never questioned the system that isolated him, but in some ways perpetuated it. Kakashi needs a break, lol.

[@joshuasilva8168]

I havent read Boruto and I don’t necessarily plan to because it seems to have moved in a different direction with the aliens etc but Boruto couldve been incredible if it became a story about an Uchiha becoming Hokage and a revolution on the ideals of what the Leaf should be

[@dev-xb2dw]

I mean, Sarada is planning on being the next hokage

[@riczz4641]

Growing up means understanding Kisame, Zabusa and End of war Sasuke were right to hate this world.

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Many of villains were right pain was right about the cycle of hatred madrara was right about the shnobi system being hell zabuza was right about the shnobi system being hell zabuza was right about shnobi being used by thier village and people and neji was right about destiny naruto is the child of destiny they had a better understanding about life than naruto his too naive and idealistic

[@asa-z9o]

great video man

[@dytgyfgyffuh243]

Great video you are one of the fans that can look at story of naruto form many perspectives

[@kirksmigael]

Naruto should’ve been about rising above nationalism tbh. I think if Danzo was introduced in OG Naruto and became hokage after Hiruzens death, this would’ve come to fruition. Unfortunately we needed 106

[@skyrrmish6207]

Fr and it’s kinda weird how the leaf village/will of fire is like their religion

[@Steven9567]

rising above nationalism? yeah thats working soooo well for europe and america its great that they are becoming a minotroy in their own nations but hey at least their above nationalism am i right.

[@jaunelleellis9609]

It's the Harry Potter problem where the main character opts to uphold the very system that failed them and the narrative celebrates that. I don't think it was a coincidence that the first "villains" we meet are a traumatized veteran and a child whose devotion to him bordered on deification. The narrative asked, "You see what's wrong with that, right?" and we went "Yeah, the fear and xenophobia within ninja villages are not relegated only to the outside but tend also to cannibalize themselves." and the narrative said, "What? No! It took Zabuza like three minutes to do a water dragon jutsu! Let's remove this hand seal thing and see how fast we can get them shooting lasers at each other! Being a shinobi is great!"

[@giannixx]

I don't think the story is trying to make us forgive Danzou or is trying to romanticize his actions. Instead we are given insight into his thoughts and motives as he himself reflects upon his life during his last moments. Until then Danzou had been portrayed as a generic "evil", corrupt politician. Yet even Danzou was Human, his last moments only confirm that he truly believed in the ideology he inherited from Tobirama and that he used to command the Root. Most people who commit terrible, heinous acts irl do not think of themselves as evil, as the villains. No matter the nature or situation of the crime, besides some exceptions, they always have a self-told narrative, an excuse, to justify their actions. Each person is the hero of their own story, after all. The difference between people like Tobirama or Danzou, and Itachi or Kakashi, is that the former two did terrible things and believed in their righteousness, while the latter also commited acts of violence, but were tormented by the weight of their actions. Kishimoto showing us Danzou's backstory isn't him being a nationalistic apologist, it's just good storytelling. Almost every single character in Naruto is gray. True evil does not lie within people, but on the systems they create. That's one of the core theses of the story.

[@BrickDaniels-qu7bz]

I like your comment, but I'd argue that there is evil in every person. There's good too. A system is just a system. Is a sword evil? A gun good? What about ideas? Enlightenment? Schooling? Institutions? Bodies? Time? Humanity? Life? What does it all mean?

[@giannixx]

@@BrickDaniels-qu7bz The potential for evil, yes. We are particularly intelligent animals, we have instincts that drive us towards actions considered good or evil by the system/society/culture's standards. Just as the lion isn't evil for eating the zebra alive, nor is the mother bear good for protecting her cubs with her life, our animal instincts are amoral. The morality comes from our sapience, our reason. Good and evil are not concrete things that exist anywhere, they are a way to categorize desireable and harmful acts. But a single person living alone in the wilderness has little need for morality. We live in social groups, be that hunter-gatherer bands or tribes, or modern homes, towns, countries, civilizations, nested within each other. These are social, cultural, and political systems. They stablish and enforce their own rules, they define what is right and wrong, what is good and evil, and how you are supposed to behave. No one single person created theses systems, they evolved naturally throughout history. The system itself isn't good or evil, but it has power to shape and force people according to cultural norms. A social system is different from a sword in the sense that the sword is merely an inanimate object, a tool, while society is the chaotic, algorhythmic amalgam of human beings. It, alongside culture, is an emergent structure, a super-organism in a similar way that you as a person is a structure and sapient phenomenon emergent from your cells. If we say that a society or a culture is evil, or that it is merely a system and the "evilness" is actually somewhere else, in the individuals (all or just some?), or the collective unconscious, is merely semantics. Was N4zi Germany an evil society? Was n4zi and völkisch culture evil? Is the KZbin algorithm evil? Systems created by and reliant on Humans, but that are autonomous enough to influence other people. They cause injustice, they feed our harmful instincts and thoughts, as they do feed on them. So is the Shinobi System evil because it incentivizes war and dehumanization? Is war itself evil? Meaningless semantics. The fact of the matter is that they are harmful to the people they affect. By being harmful and on a scope above any singular individual, I called the system itself evil. You can call it harmful or undesireable if you want, it doesn't change the objective situation.

[@giannixx]

@@BrickDaniels-qu7bz Also mind you that I said "true evil" because our brains are just trying to survive, and most often evil caused by Humans doesn't come out of nowhere, it is facilitated, incentivized, caused, and/or demanded by the society/culture we live in. You can't take society's and culture's responsability away.

[@BrickDaniels-qu7bz]

@@giannixx The problem is a subjective one. You could, for example, argue that these systems bring a good amount of order to a chaotic place. You view the shinobi system as pure butthole, but I'm sure there are good parts if you really wanted to sift through it all. It's like I said - it's relatively subjective. I'm still not sure I buy what you're selling. I blame the individuals and systems when they fail. Is the truth a matter of semantics?

[@hurricane7727]

At 19:06 Goku wouldve Called Itachi a Monster like he called Frieza a Monster.

[@Abonphire]

Yess bro clock The Leafs bull! Growing up is realizing the leaf was always shady. That’s why I grew up to actually side eye Itachi cuz dude killed his whole people and traumatized his little brother for a nation that only used him as a weapon and gave no craps about his people.

[@markchambers-yq3oh]

what's ur solution then oh wise one cuz either way ur a puppet oh my ppl like u ain't human first so much segregation no it's one village one ppl

[@VashTheDamnFiend]

“Child soldiers” lmao these are grown men by every historical standard

[@MichaelKing-tp6le]

today standards

[@youngsave]

I love Naruto I’ve watched since I was a kid but I never have thought about it like this. You’ve really opened my eyes. I always thought it was messed up that it took Naruto beating pain for him to be treated well but now I see why and that’s just not right. I hate danzo and hated how his death was romanticized when I always have said he’s the biggest villain in the whole series. I’ve always loved the uchia sauske has always been my favorite character and now I know why. He was smart enough to see through all the trash. I always thought he was justified but never could explain it besides the empathy for losing his family but now I see it’s so much deeper. He was a free thinker and not a follower. Itachi was one of my favorite characters but now I see he wasn’t a hero. I drank the kool aid and thought he was a hero but you’re right. He’s not a hero he’s a victim and was brainwashed. I always said he should’ve convinced his family to run away but now I see why he didn’t do it. The series made it seem like he didn’t have a choice but you made it clear he truly thought he did the right thing killing his family. Thank you for this video next time I revisit this series I feel I can truly appreciate the complexity of how dark it is and the deep brainwashing of every nation

[@DLR1997]

On top of that, The Uchia couldn't leave; they cofounded The Leaf, so it's theirs by birthright

[@obara7366]

Ngl, that philosophical explanation of seppuku is really hitting with the state of my mental health.

[@dotaheaven633]

Integrity and Loyalty matter most than boring life The reality is, without sacrifice and triumph of Army and your predecessor, you won't be here You i and all of us, are beneficiary of our ancestors willingness to sacrifice, you owe them

[@revengance4149]

@@dotaheaven633 no, our lives belong to ourselves. The sacrifices of the past generations created our secure and free society. We can be grateful for that, but we don't have to blindly follow their example. You should be grateful to your parents for being born (unless you hate your life as op implies) but you shouldn't have to blindly follow their orders, especially not as an adult. Your soul belongs to you. You can dedicate your life to the ideal of the nation, but don't ever tell yourself you had no choice. You choose what you do with the gift of life, and that choice determines who you are. You can be a person or a cog in a machine

[@rikuvakevainen6157]

​@@dotaheaven633 coincedentally, that same logic was used in Soviet Union. The people were convinced as long as they go through the suffering they have, the next generation will have a much more better ĺife. And this line of thinking continued untin the end of Soviet Union.

[@dotaheaven633]

@@rikuvakevainen6157 so what are you saying? Soviet union believe in Integrity and Morality, therefore we shouldn't? Btw communism is not nationalism

[@rikuvakevainen6157]

@@dotaheaven633 treat it as you wish. Life goes on with or without morality or integrity. Ideas and people can take morality as a guiding light as they want it. As long as they are ready to handle the consequences of the morality they can do as they wish.

[@Helios178X]

This man is amazing with his thinking

[@SlugSage]

There is no way to have peace without the will to fight for it. And i dont mean peaceful protest.

[@y212ify]

loved this video

[@Kobby_Ob]

Love your videos man!! Would really appreciate if you could do a commentary on some of relativity lesser known anime, there’re really great and would like to know your thoughts on them 1. Re:Zero 2. Fate, particularly about Saber 3. Akudama Drive 4. Darling in a franxx 5. To your eternity 6. Toradora 7. Seven Deadly Sins particularly on Escanor(The One)☝️🥹 8. Akame ga kill A big fann!!

[@documentcamera8807]

Mixed thoughts on this. On the one hand I think the way nationalism or more accurately the way some of these character's values are shown in the video aren't entirely fair, since the decisions made by characters like Itachi or Naruto come off way different when interpreted as being for the people/villagers rather than being for the state which I would say is a more accurate for some of these characters. I would agree that it's disheartening that the ideas of nationalism presented within the story are never challenged though, in fairness it wasn't Naruto's main theme but it still would've been nice.

[@DustunColeman]

tbh thankyou man i thought i was the only who saw it like this in naruto . atleast some parts

[@lucienetienne5164]

In a world where everyone is using trying to overtake each other villages in strength nationalism is very necessary last time i check no one force these kids to be ninjas its completely a choice. The village is their home, the village is the place where everything they hold dear to live, it should come protected at all cost. Imagine losing your village cause your leader wasn't willing to go lower then the enemy to protect you and your family. The wars wasent adult wars theybwere total wars where very one that could fight fight. Naruto and every none Uchiha innthe village would see itachi as hero because he prevented a coup that would probably kill way more women and children in the village and open the villages to attacks from other nations.

[@dmn12382]

Nothing is more evil than genocide. In a war, trained combatants face each other, knowing full well the risks involved. They’re shinobi who made the conscious decision to fight, defend their beliefs, and accept the possibility of death. They are trained and paid for this role. In a massacre, innocent women, children, civilians, the elderly get slaughtered indiscriminately.

[@rustyshackleford1062]

The leaf village is far more of a cult than they are a nation. A village of mercenaries hired out amongst nations that are barely defined and for whose governmental structure (at least through Naruto/Shippuden) isn't really defined at all aside from 5 nations existing can hardly be defined as nationalistic, the leaf and other ninja villages in Naruto are something far worse than nationalists, they are independent standing armies who profiteer off of instigating conflict amongst the nations from which they reside. I dont disagree with the wider message here about the dangers of being overly devoted to a single group or cause but the core premise defining that devotion is spuriously trying to fit a fictional square peg into a rather biased modern socio-political round hole, it simply doesn't fit.

[@xxEchoDecayxx]

As I said before, it was weird seeing Naruto joining the AXIS