Highlights
- Sasuke Recovery Mission Arc marks a crucial point in Naruto series, where Naruto and Sasuke paths diverge in epic showdown.
- Naruto’s fight to bring back Sasuke defines Part II, with symbolic battles and character moments reflecting their rivalry.
- High stakes, brutal battles against Sound Four, and fateful confrontation at Valley of the End showcase intense Naruto-Sasuke dynamic.
Tying up Part I of Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto, the Sasuke Recovery Mission Arc is a critical juncture in the series, as it marked the point where Naruto Uzumaki and Sasuke Uchiha’s paths diverged as they each sought out their own goals. It also featured some of the most captivating battles in Part I, culminating in a showdown that is potentially the best fight in the entire series.
Holding a great deal of symbolic and narrative significance, Naruto’s struggle to bring Sasuke back to Konoha and his failure to save his only friend came to define much of Part II. In short, the Sasuke Recovery Mission encapsulates the best of what Naruto has to offer, featuring some of its most memorable battles and character moments, with Naruto and Sasuke’s rivalry at its heart.
The Lead Up To Sasuke’s Defection
It is no secret that Naruto and Sasuke were set up to be rivals, and each story arc added more fuel to this. On one hand, Sasuke initially did not see Naruto as his equal, but was soon forced to admit that the boy labeled a “failure” had grown tremendously while they were teammates. Simultaneously, Naruto fought to be acknowledged by everyone, and refused to be seen as inferior to Sasuke.
Eventually, it became clear to Sasuke that Naruto had grown stronger after the Chunin Exams, and he began to regard him as a rival. During Itachi Uchiha’s visit to the village, Sasuke was humiliated by his elder brother, and made to realize that he needed to attain greater power in order to avenge his clan. He grew resentful and challenged Naruto to a fight on the rooftop of the Konoha Hospital, where his fears intensified, upon noticing the damage Naruto’s Rasengan had inflicted on one of the water tanks.
Consumed by revenge, Sasuke chose to leave the Hidden Leaf Village to train with Orochimaru, as he believed that cutting off all his bonds would allow him to become stronger. Upon learning that Sasuke had defected from Konoha, Naruto and Shikamaru Nara assembled a team to bring him back, recruiting Kiba Inuzuka, Choji Akimichi, and Neji Hyuga.
Naruto’s Promise And The Stakes At Hand
Just before the group set out, a tearful Sakura informed them of Sasuke’s intentions, and begged Naruto to bring him back. To ease her sorrow, Naruto promised Sakura that he would return with Sasuke, as the newly formed Sasuke Recovery Team set out on their mission. Going into this, the sense of danger was palpable, as a team of mere genin were taking on the Sound Four, who were among Orochimaru’s strongest subordinates. With such high stakes, there was no telling whether the Sasuke Recovery Team would come back alive, which added another layer of tension.
Brutal Battles Against The Sound Four
Although the team easily caught up with the Sound Four, they had to split up, since they had a limited amount of time to prevent Sasuke from crossing the Land of Fire’s border. Hence, each member had to fight a one-on-one battle to the death with one of the Sound Four, to draw more of them away from Sasuke, who had been rendered unconscious inside a coffin by Orochimaru’s Mind Awakening Pill.
With their formation broken, the Sasuke Recovery Team commenced their individual battles, the first of which saw Choji take on Jirobo. Using the Akimichi clan’s Three Colored Pills, he managed to kill his opponent, but sustained serious injuries in the process. Next, Neji confronted Kidomaru’s Spider Techniques with Gentle Fist. After making a sacrifice play by exposing the Byakugan’s blind spot, Neji created an opening to take down his enemy, but his narrow victory left him gravely injured.
Shikamaru was matched up with Tayuya, a powerful genjutsu user, whereas Kiba and Akamaru took on Sakon and Ukon. In the first fight, Shikamaru could not come up with strategies to defeat Tayuya, despite restraining her with his Shadow Neck-Binding Technique. Kiba and Akamaru executed coordinated attacks on the twins, but were forced to retreat when the latter was injured. At this time, Naruto’s fight against Kimimaro Kaguya, the former leader of the Sound Five, was looking grim, until it was interrupted by Rock Lee, who had just recovered from surgery.
Having mistaken a sake jar for his medicine, an intoxicated Lee stumbled around Kimimaro’s Shikotsumyaku attacks, before overwhelming his enemy with a chaotic Drunken Fist assault. During this battle, Sasuke emerged from his coffin and rushed ahead, forcing Naruto to pursue him. Behind him, all his allies were facing defeat, until a timely intervention by Gaara, Temari, and Kankuro, helped secure victory for the Sasuke Recovery Team, who learned of Sunagakure’s alliance with Konohagakure.
Naruto And Sasuke’s Fateful Confrontation
Arriving at the Valley of the End, Naruto confronted Sasuke, and urged him to consider what he was turning his back on. Refusing to heed his words, Sasuke displayed his augmented strength with the Cursed Seal, and remarked that his choices did not concern Naruto.
Declaring that Naruto had become his closest friend, Sasuke launched a flurry of attacks, as he believed that he could acquire the Mangekyo Sharingan by killing him. Sasuke nearly succeeded when he struck Naruto through the shoulder with Chidori, but was shcoked to see Naruto release the Nine-Tails’ chakra, which instantly healed him and turned the battle in his favor. With his superior strength and speed, Naruto took the fight to Sasuke.
Despite having the upper hand, Naruto refused to kill Sasuke and tried to reason with him, but it was to no avail. However, this finally made Sasuke acknowledge Naruto as his equal. At this moment, Sasuke’s Sharingan fully matured, allowing him to read Naruto’s movements and gain the advantage. In turn, Naruto unlocked his one-tailed jinchuriki transformation, which turned the tables again. To counter, Sasuke took his Cursed Seal to Level Two, and created a Flapping Chidori while Naruto prepared his Demon Fox Rasengan.
As the two clashed beneath the waterfall at the Valley of the End, Sasuke knocked out Naruto while the latter scratched his forehead protector, in response to Sasuke’s earlier taunt that Naruto could not even land a scratch on him. In the aftermath of their clash, Sasuke stood over an unconscious Naruto and chose to spare him, as rain washed over the valley. Cutting off his final bond, Sasuke went forth into the Land of Sound, as the Sasuke Recovery Mission ended in failure.
Why Is The Sasuke Recovery Mission Important?
Naruto’s promise to Sakura remained an integral part of his character even into Part II, as his refusal to give up on Sasuke shaped his subsequent journey. Moreover, the Sasuke Recovery Mission was the first real instance after the Chunin Exams, where the Rookie Nine faced mortal peril without the supervision of any higher-ranked ninja, providing a sign of the dangers lying ahead.
This arc also featured the first battle between Naruto and Sasuke, which is in contention for being the best fight in the series, due to its epic scale and breathtaking action, alongside the weight of the emotional narrative underlining it. Ultimately, the Sasuke Recovery Mission Arc effectively leveraged Naruto’s clever and engaging fights while allowing Naruto and Sasuke’s rivalry to take center stage, with the outcome of their battle setting up their journeys for the rest of the series.
Naruto is available to stream on Crunchyroll.
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