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"And when I'm with you.. I wonder.. if it's like being with a brother." Naruto, chapter 228
rivalryfighting till the end of time.. or why is it..?As previously mentioned, it was only natural for a rivalry to flame up between the two boys.Just think about it - what do you get with two guys essentially having the same goal, but completely different ways of approaching this very goal; plus add two rather hot-tempered, extremely hardworking and ambitious character types and, not to forget, one of them having some sort of superiority complex, while the other one wants nothing more than to be equal. Yeees? Right right, if you ask me, as a result it's like .. watching two guys playing with fire, triggered by a rivalry of such an extreme level of compexity and intensity like I myself have never seen it in any other anime/manga. Ironically, if we think about it, Sasuke had everything Naruto always had strived after, but clearly did not give a fig about it. He tried to leave behind what Naruto wanted to achieve no matter what - everyone's care, approval, acceptance. Naruto, who wanted nothing more than being noticed in first line, got furious about the fact that without Sasuke doing anything, he still managed to capture everyone's attention, always being on top and the best in everything, while Naruto struggled on the bottom. He frantically tried to catch up with the raven, but despite all his efforts, was still only able to watch his back.    Completely overwhelmed by jealousy and feelings of inferiority, Naruto decided to make Sasuke his rival, which just prodded him even more to work and study harder in order to catch up and prove his strength. From that time on, first of all, Naruto wanted being recognised by Sasuke, and not by anyone else. So far, said rivalry only seemed to come from Naruto's side, but as soon as Sasuke and Naruto got more or less forced on each other due to being on the same team, we also got to see Sasuke did his very best not to let the distance between them close. Of course, their rivalry had not always a bad effect on both of them. In fact, most of the time they subconciously motivated each other to go further, to train harder and to get stronger together. Take the tree climbing excercise as an example - both were determined not to fall behind the other one, and thus they spent almost each minute training - and in the end, they returned, arm in arm, together. However, over the time their rivalry always seemed to gain the upper hand of their friendship and after a fight like the one against Gaara, it only let the feelings of falling behind, this time from Sasuke's side, grow. Amazement over the other's strength soon turned into feelings of being inferior and weak - and that's exactly how such a clash like the one in the Valley of the End emerged. Naruto's sudden growth had scared Sasuke to some point, making his own growth seem minor and insignificant. He must have felt hemmed and cornered by Naruto's power outbursts when it came to protecting the people dear to him - additionally, Itachi's words of him being weak did not help either.   On a side note, also Sakura played a role in their rivalry. The simple fact that the girl Naruto had wanted, Sakura, was head over heels in love with his rival made their rivalry stand out even more, at least in the beginning. In the end, Naruto's and Sasuke's rivalry seems like a vicious circle to me - constantly being pushed and pushed, constantly feeling the urge to overtrump the other one, and lastly it's as simple as that: One constantly tries his best to be seen as an equal and to catch up, while the other one does his best to stay a step ahead. How should this ever end..? But as for my own two cents - their bond has already withstood so many clashes and fights, and thus, I do believe that in the end it will turn out just fine. Maybe I'm a hopeless optimist, but I do see light in both of their futures. ('Sides, in order to follow a series like Naruto for so long, you need to learn to be optimistic ;D) Anyways, I'm sure some of you agree with me that the rivalry between those two boys is an outstanding and extremely interesting one, as their is so much more behind than just "fighting". There are so many feelings involved, some of them which have been tucked away for so long and still got released in the very moment when emotions got the better of the two. Simply amazing how much such a rivalry can speak for characters, if you ask me. |
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Warning: Spoilers |
| Please browse carefully through the sections filled under Two Boys |