Naruto Anime Analysis

Season 3: Episode 131

Source: Wikipedia,
"The Secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan!"

"As Sasuke's remembrance of his childhood draws to a close, Sasuke returns home from the academy one day to find all the members of the Uchiha clan murdered. Upon finding his parents' bodies, Sasuke discovered Itachi to be responsible for the massacre. Using his Mangekyo Sharingan, Itachi showed Sasuke their parents' deaths, causing Sasuke to run with fright. Itachi stopped him, telling him that he wasn't worth killing. As Itachi left, he informed Sasuke that if he wanted to take revenge for the clan, he would need to get stronger. To help Sasuke gain the strongest ability of the Uchiha, Itachi tells Sasuke the requirements to obtain his own Mangekyo Sharingan: He must kill his closest friend. With that, Itachi left, leaving Sasuke to build a hatred for his brother. Resolving to get stronger, Sasuke decided he would do whatever was necessary to kill Itachi. Returning to the present day, he tells Naruto that he will kill him because Naruto is his best friend."

Analysis

The following episode will look at:

● the secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan,

● the relationship between Itachi and Sasuke

● the similarities and differences between Naruto and Sasuke

Before looking at Sasuke's remembrance of his childhood, it's important to note that Sasuke said something significant. He said, "No matter what darkness awaits me, I will meet it head-on, and whatever happens, I'll get that power." From the onset, one already knows that Sasuke is willing to do whatever it takes to get that power to kill his brother, Itachi Uchiha. He is willing to get that power from Orochimaru, despite Naruto warning him that Orochimaru is only using him for his benefit. However, to understand Sasuke's pursuit to get that power, his childhood memories provide insight for one to understand.

As Sasuke's remembrance of his childhood draws to a close, Sasuke returns home from the academy one day to find all the members of the Uchiha clan murdered. When Sasuke returns home from the academy, creepy music starts playing in the background. Moreover, there's ominous music when Sasuke, for a second, catches a glimpse of Itachi with his Sharingan activated. The ominous music presents something amiss—something sinister is happening. It is evident when Sasuke sees that the lights are off, so it is strange because it is too early for people to go to sleep. Another way to point out that something sinister happened is that there is blood and kunai everywhere. What makes it even more sinister is that he finds the dead bodies of his uncle and auntie and starts to worry about his parents. The element of death is prevalent throughout this scene, and it makes one feel anxious that something bad has happened to Sasuke's parents.

Upon finding his parents' bodies, Sasuke discovered Itachi to be responsible for the massacre. Intense, dramatic music starts to play in the background. What makes the scene very chilling is Itachi's actions and words. For instance, when he looked at Sasuke, he seemed indifferent. He seems to show no remorse for killing the parents. Secondly, he says these hurtful words: "Foolish little brother, I almost pity you." Then he puts Sasuke on a genjutsu using Mangekyo Sharingan; hence, Itachi is shown to be a villain who only cares about his desires at the expense of others.

Using his Mangekyo Sharingan, Itachi showed Sasuke their parents' deaths, causing Sasuke to run with fright. Sasuke was traumatized when Itachi showed Sasuke their parents' deaths to the extent that he collapsed on the ground. Moreover, dramatic music intensified when Sasuke ran with fright, saying, "I don't want to die!" On the way, he sees Itachi standing in front of him.

Itachi stopped him, telling him that he wasn't worth killing. As Itachi left, he informed Sasuke that if he wanted to take revenge for the clan, he would need to get stronger. To help Sasuke gain the strongest ability of the Uchiha, Itachi tells Sasuke the requirements to obtain his own Mangekyo Sharingan: He must kill his closest friend. With that, Itachi left, leaving Sasuke to build a hatred for his brother. Resolving to get stronger, Sasuke decided he would do whatever was necessary to kill Itachi. From this scene, the audience learns more about the secrets of the Mangekyo Sharingan.

The Japanese flute starts to play in the background as Sasuke cries. He still can't believe that Itachi killed the whole clan. Sasuke said, "It's a lie. This isn't like you, big brother. It can't be."
In response, Itachi said, "I have acted like the older brother you desire for one reason: because I wanted to discover how powerful you were. I needed to find a worthy opponent to test the limits of my ability. You have that unique potential. Now that I have made you hate me, you have the desire to defeat me, which is exactly why I'm going to allow you to live. Don't you see? It's all for my benefit. Like me, you may be one of the few who can use Mangekyo Sharingan. But there is a catch: take the life of your best friend. You must kill him." Itachi then went on to admit that he was the one who killed Shisui Uchiha, his best friend. From my point of view, the way Itachi is behaving, it seems that he lacks empathy for killing his best friend, his parents, and the whole clan. In other words, he was only interested in obtaining power at the expense of others. Moreover, the way he is treating his brother, it seems like he does not care about him at all. Therefore, there is an element of change in the relationship between Itachi and Sasuke. They went from having a close relationship to a strained relationship.

Itachi went to explain to Sasuke that there is a shrine that shows an explanation of the Uchiha clan jutsu. It tells of a visual jutsu's true purpose. Sasuke could be the third person to discover the Mangekyo Sharingan if he discovers how to activate it. Therefore, that is why Itachi said, "To ensure that happens, that's enough reason to let you live well, that's all. Oh, don't worry, you're not worth killing, my foolish little brother. If you wish to kill me one day in hate and revenge, surviving in such an unsightly manner as this, by all means flee, cling to your wretched life, and then one day, when you possess the same eyes, come back and face me." With phrases such as "foolish little brother" and "cling to your wretched life," only to mention a few, it is no surprise why Sasuke hates his brother, and now he has the desire to do whatever is necessary to kill Itachi. Itachi is the one who made him an orphan.

Returning to the present day, he tells Naruto that he will kill him because Naruto is his best friend." Dramatic music starts to play in the background when the scene shifts back to the present day. From my point of view, Sasuke considers Naruto his best friend because both of them experienced loneliness. First, both of them lost the people they cherished the most. Second, both of them are orphans. However, the difference between them is that Sasuke is driven by darkness to kill Itachi. On the other hand, Naruto was treated like an outcast, yet he always found reasons to find happiness and peace. In other words, Naruto is driven by light, while Sasuke is driven by darkness. Therefore, the external conflict between them will only get worse.

The episode ends with Naruto and Sasuke running towards each other to fight. What will happen next? All of this will be revealed in the next episode.

The lesson from this episode is that sometimes you can find friends in people who can relate to your pain and suffering, just like Sasuke and Naruto. True friends are always there, even if there is pain and suffering.