Summary
The Five Kage Summit plays a pivotal role in Sasuke's development as his loyalties and relationships change. Naruto protects Sasuke despite his doubts, emphasizing his firm belief in communication over violence. This arc raises questions about the geopolitics of the Naruto world, the Kage system, and the effectiveness of communication between the villages.
Naruto: ShippudenNaruto's “Five Kage Summit” is crucial to understanding Sasuke's development, and is widely considered to contain Sasuke's most iconic moment. It's also unfortunately short while also being sandwiched between the Fourth Shinobi War and “The Pain Assault,” one of Naruto: Shippuden's most moving, beloved arcs—a problem the anime exacerbates by having a twenty-episode filler arc immediately preceding it.
Sasuke's development as a character has always been framed by his brother Itachi's betrayal of the clan, killing all the clan members (including their parents) but sparing Sasuke.
The Five Kage Summit arc shows the aftermath of a major shift in Sasuke's relationship with the idea of Itachi, catching him as he is caught up in his shifting opinions. The world of Naruto: Shippuden is built simultaneously, and core characters like Sakura and Naruto show new sides of themselves as Sasuke begins to lose control.
Sasuke's Time of Change
The revelations that turn Sasuke against Konoha
Long before the “Five Summit Arc,” Sasuke left the series’ warm and colorful hometown of Konoha to find his brother and avenge his family. This departure considered Sasuke a traitor to the village, willing to set it aside for his own personal goals. For Naruto and Sakura, Sasuke's recovery becomes the main goal.
Sasuke start Hebi group to help him fulfill his goal of finding and defeating Itachi. After killing Itachi, he is captured by Obito of Akatsuki (posing as Madara Uchiha). Obito reveals Itachi's true role as a member of Konoha's Anbu black ops team to turn Sasuke against Konoha, occasionally manipulating the story to get Sasuke on his side.
After this series of events, Sasuke symbolically changed his group's name from Hebi (snake) to Taka (eagle). Things got worse for Sasuke's perception. after he joined forces with Akatsukia rebel organization operating outside the Kage system under Obito's direction to obtain all the tailed beasts. Obito assigns Sasuke the mission to capture Killer B, leading to Sasuke being labeled an international terrorist. A meeting of the Five Kage of the villages is convened. The goal: to capture Sasuke and develop a plan to deal with the growing threat of Akatsuki.
Sasuke, after learning about the summit, seized the opportunity to attack and revenge (leading, among other things, to Sasuke's epic battle with Danzō). His elaborate plan is disrupted by White Zetsu, who announces Sasuke's presence. This failed infiltration, coupled with Sasuke's violent behavior towards his teammate Taka Karin, causes Taka to collapse as Sasuke's teammates struggle to stay by his side in the face of his increasing recklessness and selfishness.
Team 7's turmoil: Sasuke's strained relationship with Naruto and Sakura
As Sasuke drifts further and further away from conventional morality, his friends begin to doubt him (but never give up).
Despite its focus on Sasuke, the arc also serves to elevate Naruto and Sakura. Naruto's steadfast belief in communication over violence has even spawned a meme, “Talk No Jutsu”. However, where Sasuke is at his coldest, Naruto is at his warmest; however, that warmth is mixed with tension. At the beginning of the arc, Naruto asks Sasuke to be pardoned when the Raikage give him a reality check about Sasuke and his intentionslater reinforced by Obito's visit. When Itachi sent a shadow clone to talk to Naruto about Sasuke, Naruto defended Sasuke to the fullest.
Both Naruto and Sakura doubt Sasuke after the kidnapping of Killer B and the attack on the mountaintop. Both are known for their optimistic resilience and faith in Sasuke. Naruto and Sasuke are essential to each other, and watching Naruto and Sakura's unwavering faith be undermined is a strange experience for viewers. Although neither of them ever completely abandon their faith, they eventually question Sasuke. give their characters more humanity.
Consider when Sakura decides to kill Sasuke herself, but ultimately finds herself unable to do so. Or, when Sakura gives a false confession to Naruto, a jinchuriki targeted by Akatsuki, in a ploy to protect him from danger while pursuing Sasuke. He counters by saying that she should pursue her true love in Sasuke. although he has complicated feelings for her.
In the context of the fact that a cold-blooded operation led by Konoha was revealed, directly impacting Sasuke (who probably understands him better than anyone), it speaks volumes to Naruto's ambition that he would continue to try to protect Konoha in the name of improving it. As it demonstrates his idealism, it also demonstrates the strength with which he works to protect his ideals. This rift would last until the end of the series.
The Importance of the “Five Kage Summit” Arc
The Five Kage Summit Arc Raises Questions About Politics in Naruto
Sasuke is the vehicle used by the Five Kage Summit. Revealing the Geopolitics of the Naruto World. The summit in question is actually the second summit. The first summit is later revealed to have been convened decades earlier, with the purpose of promoting peace between the clans. This opens up questions about how well the Kage System and the geopolitics of the Naruto universe work.
The Five Kage Summit arc is the first arc where all the villages are fully involved in the geopolitics of the region. However, it is also the first arc where viewers can fully feel the The big difference between the Kage and the villages they leadThe summit is an exercise in ineffective communication between people who barely get along until Sasuke's unifying attack.
Viewers learn about the relationship between the Senja and Uchiha clans in the final arc, and it gives the arc a new depth. In this context, it gives a good explanation for why Sasuke may not be a true “villain.” However, his attack will be considered a declaration of war by the Five Kagewho gathered together to form the Allied Shinobi Forces in preparation for an impending war. Regardless, Sasuke would be branded as an irredeemable villain until he spoke to the revived version of Itachi during the war and returned to fight alongside Naruto.
Five Kage Summit makeBasically every element of Naruto is more complex. Rewatching after understanding the context of the ending only enriches the plot. While there are many exciting fight scenes, they are also incredibly heartfelt. Fan favorites like Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura are portrayed in a new light while some side characters like Sai are given more depth.
Ultimately, the Five Kage Summit complicates both secret organizations and the government. Favored locations like Konoha are given over to sinister instability. In fact, It undermines law, order and morality. something that was previously undisputed in the world of Naruto except for the villains themselves, and every character felt it.
Without it, any major conflict that closes out the Shippuden era would fall flat. As new and unlikely alliances form in preparation for a final assault against Akatsuki (and, as the Kages will learn, many others), the Five Kage Summit arc works quietly to raise the stakes in the final arc of the series. Naruto: Shippuden will ask: who is really a hero or a villain, and when is an imperfect world worth protecting?
