Official 212 Discussion *SPOILERS*

[Tenkei]

Why is it that every thread about every chapter gets reduced into a discussion about Itachi coming back? Personally, it's kind of suggesting that you guys have a lack of originality here. At least try to get mroe out of a chapter than "Maybe Itachi will be back soon!"

As for his strength - he definitely will not be the strongest character in the the manga/anime. He was introduced so long ago - that just as the rule of thumb in manga goes, the next person to appear will be even stronger than him. I would have to imagine that the leader of Akatsuki is the strongest of all.

And the biggest reason as to why Itachi is not the strongest is this. He's Sasuke's enemies, not Narutos. The strongest enemy in the series will be Naruto's enemy, and his alone. Sure, Naruto could kill Itachi, but the whole series is set up so that Sasuke will be the one trying to do that. Even if Naruto did kill him at some point, I'd still consider him more of "Sasuke's Enemy."

So, just deal with the fact that there most likely is going to be someone that could easily dispatch of Itachi.

As far as the chapter goes, I was really excited. I can't wait to see the interactions between the Sand shinobi and those of the Leaf. It should be really interesting. As far as Shino coming back .. I don't see that happening, and I honestly hope it doesn't. There's just no need for him right now.

If Shino's doing -anything-, I hope he's out there getting Neji and (maybe) Chouji back to the Leaf so that Tsunade can try to help them.

[Neji-Aniki-sama]

Now, why we keep calling it Akatsuki, when we could call it Red moon?
And Itachi, weasel, for that matter???? [img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-smile.gif[/img]

And speaking of Itachi, I agree with Tenkei. He's too much entangled with Sasuke, to me is more like is there to be the excuse for Sasuke's angst than anything else.
As a character, he doesn't have a clear agenda, I mean his goal of getting Naruto is sorta weird. He is not doing it for himself, but for somebody else. No decent bad guy would be a mere henchman of an organization, much less bossed around.
Orochimaru has a clear agenda, even though I consider it a bit stupid, but he is his own man, or snake so to speak. Not only his goal is stupid, but he is stupid himself. He wasted a great deal of time with his personal revenge against the 3rd, and even lost the use of his arms in the process. Really dumb.
IMO, if he were a real smart evil guy, he'd put an act to the 3rd, saying that he was sorry, and remorseful and beg for his forgiveness in tears. Once he recovered the 3rd's trust, he could learn all the jutsus that he wanted, get Sasuke as a bonus, until finally be in a position of kill the 3rd in his sleep.
If Kabuto wasn't such an insuferable disgusting jerk, I could even respect him. Here's a guy with his own agenda and doing the smart thing. He doesn't mind being Oro's doormat, and reap the benefits from such position. The nice thing about Kabuto is that we never know when he will stab Oro in the back, and he seems smart enough to figure out the right moment, when he is strong enough and Oro vulnerable.
It may take years, but a good evil guy recognizes the value of patience as a virtue.
Still, the downfall of Kabuto may be his need for a personal revenge against Konoha.Which obviosly will impair his reasoning.
Gaara had his own agenda. To kill whatever living creature that crossed his path. He recognized it as the purpose of his existence and therefore, was happy with himself. He's a perfect evil man, if we consider evil as the supreme selfishness. He wasn't entagled in personal vendettas, his goal wasn't make other people suffer, but simply to kill them. He didn't need to kill anybody in particular, so he didn't go through a great deal of trouble to kill *a* specific person. He said he'd kill Shikamaru and Naruto, but he could wait for the best opportunity to do it. There was no hurry. Again, for the good evil guy patience will always be a virtue.
Except for the old Gaara, and possibly Kabuto, the other two have too many personal problems preventing them from being decent evil-doers.

[skyro]

Originally posted by: Tenkei
Why is it that every thread about every chapter gets reduced into a discussion about Itachi coming back? Personally, it's kind of suggesting that you guys have a lack of originality here. At least try to get mroe out of a chapter than "Maybe Itachi will be back soon!"

As for his strength - he definitely will not be the strongest character in the the manga/anime. He was introduced so long ago - that just as the rule of thumb in manga goes, the next person to appear will be even stronger than him. I would have to imagine that the leader of Akatsuki is the strongest of all.

And the biggest reason as to why Itachi is not the strongest is this. He's Sasuke's enemies, not Narutos. The strongest enemy in the series will be Naruto's enemy, and his alone. Sure, Naruto could kill Itachi, but the whole series is set up so that Sasuke will be the one trying to do that. Even if Naruto did kill him at some point, I'd still consider him more of "Sasuke's Enemy."

So, just deal with the fact that there most likely is going to be someone that could easily dispatch of Itachi.

As far as the chapter goes, I was really excited. I can't wait to see the interactions between the Sand shinobi and those of the Leaf. It should be really interesting. As far as Shino coming back .. I don't see that happening, and I honestly hope it doesn't. There's just no need for him right now.

If Shino's doing -anything-, I hope he's out there getting Neji and (maybe) Chouji back to the Leaf so that Tsunade can try to help them.

I believe that is just all the Itachi-fanboys, the people who will just cling to whoever they think is the strongest character in series. So true about your reasoning though, this is a manga after all. I hope this arc ends soon, the 4 sound nin are probably some of the most boring villians introduced thus far IMO. The plot needs to move foward.

[Suzu]

Damn Temari's hot!!!!!!! Her new outfit is hype. Thank God they brought back the best female ninja (except Tsunade and Kurenai of course). Gaara also looks amazing and fighting with Lee, who would've thought. It was pretty intense. Kankuro is still ugly and just weird. I hope he gets killed and i want someone to smash that stupid Karasu of his.

[Neji-Aniki-sama]

Originally posted by: Suzu
Damn Temari's hot!!!!!!! Her new outfit is hype. Thank God they brought back the best female ninja (except Tsunade and Kurenai of course).

You forgot Anko. There are plenty of kick-ass women in that manga. And Tsunande may be more powerful but Kurenai is classier. Any woman who can look good in a bandage dress is the classiest of them all.
Still, Sakura give as bad name to all of them. Most characters, men and women, have grown. Sakura and Sasuke are considered main characters, still they remain the same as they were in chapter one. Amazing.

[Mut]

look at all these itachi haters assuming random shit. funny.

[rockmanj]

how could anyone forget about anko?? imo, the best (but not most powerful) kuniochi

[Suzu]

how could anyone forget about anko?? imo, the best (but not most powerful) kuniochi

Yeah you're right i love her too. Especially her kinda darker side and her Naruto-ish tendencies

[itachi_]

Originally posted by: Mut@t@
look at all these itachi haters assuming random shit. funny.

They haven't seen true power yet.

WORD

[Kurapica]

Neither have you, so just assuming Itachi is the strongest just because he was introduced as a bad-ass character is not very bright either. Let's just await the outcome of the next chapters and we will probably see that Itachi (*shivers* ) ain't thát strong.

[Mut]

i don't think you participated in the uchiha itachi discussion topic. plz, do not start it again, instead go read the thread..

[immortality]

man i just read...this is so bull shit..they were all gonna die..except shikamaru..of course...damn....it would have been interesting if they didnt show up..im sure shik would have survived....

[Neji-Aniki-sama]

I think some people here have an interesting concept of Power.
For me, simply put, power is the capacity to get what you want.
Did Itachi get what he want? No. So, until he proves otherwise, I consider him powerless.
In what beating Kakashi make him advance toward his goals? That just made Kakashi more furious and determined to do something about him. If he were powerful, he'd had killed Kakashi on the spot, since he is an obstacle to his goal.
And don't give the me line: I am not going to kill you now, but I will kill you later.
Either you kill or you don't, and if you really have power to do it, don't make threats that only can come true in the future. If you are going to do something, just do it. Talk about what will happen in the future is as useless as argue about if they fought who'd win, the 4th or Itachi, Shika or Haku? That ain't going to happen, therefore we will never know.
So for those who say that Itachi didn't show his power , *yet*. I suggest to wait untill that time comes to make comments about how powerful he is.
And, yet on the subject of power. Neji, Naruto, Kiba and Chouji can beat Shikamaru into a pulp any time. Yet, Shika is the guy who's bossing all of them around.

[Mut]

Originally posted by: Neji-Aniki-sama
I think some people here have an interesting concept of Power.
For me, simply put, power is the capacity to get what you want.
Did Itachi get what he want? No. So, until he proves otherwise, I consider him powerless.

this is the nonsensical* logic ever. than according to it, everyone is powerless.

EDIT: response to below:

I do find it funny though how if you say something negative about Itachi all the fanboys have to defend him as if it was some personal insult, and you are thus labeled an Itachi-hater (as if everything was black and white).

IT IS PERSONAL.[img]i/expressions/face-icon-small-mad.gif[/img]

*edited because neji-aniki-sama found it offensive.[img]i/expressions/heart.gif[/img]

[skyro]

I think Shika would've died if Temari didn't save him. Same thing when Asuma saved him. Both times Shika was out of ideas so to speak, and that's what allows him to survive in the first place. And no, I'm not a Shika-hater, or an Itachi-hater, or whatever. Shika is one of my fav characters, I've always liked brains > brawn. Itachi eh, I haven't seen enough of him to like or hate him. He needs to be reintroduced later when Sasuke improves. Sharingan vs sharingan will be an interesting match-up (not counting Kakashi and his non-blood sharingan). I do find it funny though how if you say something negative about Itachi all the fanboys have to defend him as if it was some personal insult, and you are thus labeled an Itachi-hater (as if everything was black and white).

[Neji-Aniki-sama]

Originally posted by: Mut@t@
[

this is the dumbest logic ever. than according to it, everyone is powerless.

Do you have any argument that supports this assertion?
So far, the only thing you proved is that you're a foul-mouthed person, and besides insults, have nothing of real substance to add.
Which makes your posts extremelly boring.
I advise you not to waste your time responding to my posts. This is one of the rarest times if not the only that I will acknowledge your need to insult others. And I am just doing that for your benefit, so you can avoid wasting your time, particularly with me. All in all the only person you insulted here is yourself, so it would be really dumb to take this personally.
You remind me of a child who has just became aware of the existence of foul words in the English language and is eager to use them every chance it gets, and the the proper word to qualify such child is impertinent.
Again, I will make clear that you can use all sorts of unnecessary insults towards me, and they won't be acknowledged. Which means that, for me, t this conversation, ends here.
On a personal note, have you ever thought about the energy you're wasting trying to pick a fight with me and with other people in general? There are more efficient ways to call other people's attention upon yourself than showing your anger towards strangers.
Yet, if still want to pick a fight, I suggest you send me a private message.

This is extremelly off- topic and I apologize to everybody else for posting this here. My intention is just settle this issue once and for all.

[Gods_Son]

Originally posted by: skyro
I do find it funny though how if you say something negative about Itachi all the fanboys have to defend him as if it was some personal insult, and you are thus labeled an Itachi-hater (as if everything was black and white).

I'm not a fanboy, I'm just sick of the same arguments being brought up with Itachi over and over. There's too much hype on the guy, even if he is the strongest character alive right now. Neiji-Aniki, learn to let things go, if you wanted to settle the issue, then you shouldn't have typed out a long response to what Mut@t@ had said and should've just ignored him.

[Assertn]

Originally posted by: Neji-Aniki-sama

Originally posted by: Mut@t@
[

this is the dumbest logic ever. than according to it, everyone is powerless.

Do you have any argument that supports this assertion?

oh so now you're trying to bring ME into this?

[Mut]

Originally posted by: Neji-Aniki-sama
Do you have any argument that supports this assertion?
So far, the only thing you proved is that you're a foul-mouthed person, and besides insults, have nothing of real substance to add.
Which makes your posts extremelly boring.
I advise you not to waste your time responding to my posts. This is one of the rarest times if not the only that I will acknowledge your need to insult others. And I am just doing that for your benefit, so you can avoid wasting your time, particularly with me. All in all the only person you insulted here is yourself, so it would be really dumb to take this personally.
You remind me of a child who has just became aware of the existence of foul words in the English language and is eager to use them every chance it gets, and the the proper word to qualify such child is impertinent.
Again, I will make clear that you can use all sorts of unnecessary insults towards me, and they won't be acknowledged. Which means that, for me, t this conversation, ends here.
On a personal note, have you ever thought about the energy you're wasting trying to pick a fight with me and with other people in general? There are more efficient ways to call other people's attention upon yourself than showing your anger towards strangers.
Yet, if still want to pick a fight, I suggest you send me a private message.

This is extremelly off- topic and I apologize to everybody else for posting this here. My intention is just settle this issue once and for all.

blah blah blah. ok, i will answer your first question.

according what you say, itachi is 'powerless' because he hasn't accomplished the things he planned on doing yet. right? then if what you say is true, according to it, EVERYONE is powerless. why you ask? here are some examples: sasuke hasn't beaten itachi yet, naruto hasn't become hokage yet and he hasn't brought back sasuke. should i throw in more examples or do you see why i said that it's dumb? ok, maybe 'dumb' wasn't the most appropriate word to be used. so, should i use 'ridiculous'? 'absurd'? would that be better for you? don't take my comments as a personal attack, you shouldn't let little things like that bother you. i have nothing against anyone in the forums and i don't pick fights, so plz . anyway, ill just ignore the rest of your comments.

i hope i explained your first question.

btw, lol, good one assertn.

EDIT: as for the part where you said i have nothing of real substance to add...do you purposely skip over my posts? cmon man, i've read some rude stuff before but i guarantee you that at least 80% of my posts are of well-thought out discussions and the other 19% being random OT stuff in the general discussion forums. you can decide what the remaining 1% is. [img]i/expressions/lips.gif[/img]

[xtort]

It's too bad people can't just shut up about Itachi. The only people who keep beinging him up are the Itachi-nazis, and everyone hates his character because they like him.

As far as poor Lee goes, he's gotta be the unluckiest bastard in this series. If this were a straw-draw, he got the shortest straw every time, picking all the people whom physical attacks were useless against. His attacks are meant to be faster than a person is able to see, which makes me dislike the idea of Kimimaro being able to counter them, but whatever, not my story to tell. I think that if he went up against Neji, he would have lost for this same reason. He just has to lose.

As far as everyone and their mother showing up, this is a paltry sum of people compared to the first Level 1 Sasuke episode where he wooped up on the Sound nins. Remember? Lee shows up, gets whooped (by two people, this time, one who nullifies the physical attack). Then Chouji, Shika, and whats-her-face-loser show up. (For all of you that don't remember, the particular whats-her-face-loser is Ino, not Sakura, who had already been beaten up at this point.) They get semi-whooped, and Neji and Tenten show up.

So it was 3 teams versus 1, when this time it's... well...2.5 versus 1.66. Things are looking up for the leafs! (I need a little cartoon character in the bottom right side of my reply to say: "Yeah, they have the Sand for allies, you dummy!")

-xtortout