can't shut myself up!

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

A little mini-rant by a befuddled fan. Spoilers up until uh, now, manga-wise! So 309, or something.

Before I go, a few remarks: I love Gaara, I love Sasuke, I love Naruto, I love Sakura, I love them all. I think they should all have a great big orgy, and hurray. And I do understand why Sasuke is a dislikeable character. But a few recent trends have made me boggle a bit. Dislike whomever you like, these are just my opinions!



basically, when people compare gaara and sasuke, i get confused. so, first, we review a lot of crap. :D


A little rehashing of what we already know about the Angst Pot

We all know Sasuke's good at his angst. And why not? His entire family, beyond immediate, his entire CLAN, was wiped out in one evening. By the man he had admired the most, had aspired most to be recognized by, had obsessed over as a younger brother forever in his shadow. He tends to get criticized - or teased, lovingly - for being the biggest angstpot this side of the stars, but, I think its fairly reasonable. His whole life has revolved around his brother - first in a semi-healthy, brotherly competition way, then the twisted morphing into a boundless revenge.

The kid began at twelve years old. Sometimes I think people forget that these kids are TWELVE, and while ninja are supposed to be ninja, the series is pretty clear that they can't help being human. That's the point of frickin' Sakura early on, which is why it's sad when she's so hated on. She's the most human in that darn group of kids.

Then he turns his back on his friends, trying to sever his connections, nearly gets Chouji and Neji killed, punches a hole into his best friend. (As far as Neji and Chouji go, and even Naruto, Sasuke chose to leave, he never wanted anyone to RESCUE him. Yes, he was emotionally troubled, and no, it's silly to criticize them for wanting to "save" him. It's a mess of choices everyone would have made had they been in that circumstance.)

In the manga, we meet him as a pirate and he tells us he only didn't kill Naruto on a whim, bla bla am so badass, let Orochimaru take me. Well, for people shrieking bastard -- A) Duh, he's the main rival and B) .. We KNOW it wasn't a whim. We SAW HIM standing over Naruto. He looked a little more than motivated than a whim. In fact, we get into his head for the last time, and he resolved that he will NOT do it Itachi's way -- i.e. killing his buddy.

Which, hah, was pretty lucky for Itachi after all, since Akatsuki kind of needs Naruto from which to take their demon.


Gaara- more rehashing

Once upon a time the kazekage turned to his wife, said, hey baby, you're pregnant, lets stick something effed up in your belly and see what happens. She said, huh? And died. Little Gaara was feared by all the children and people, and his one seemingly genuine familial love, his uncle, shattered his happy little bubble of trying to reform by telling him he hated him after all, while trying to kill him. Then Gaara decided to take his mother's wish to heart, and lived to hate, to destroy everything, in order to make his existence have a point. Lots of people tried to kill him, but he introduced them to the sand castle in the sky instead.

Given that Gaara lived for hate, to become stronger and test himself, and Sasuke attempted to on Itachi's words, his comment to Sasuke -- that their eyes are similar -- was not unfounded.

Naruto rocks his world, Gaara reforms, tries to protect the people who loathed and feared him for years, gets killed for it, but lucky plot no jutsu, he came back. Woo! And he likes his people a lot. Really.


OK, the Point, Finally

I've noticed, here and there, that there are some comparisons of Sasuke's past and Gaara's past, in the sense of saying... Look, Gaara had it much worse, and he's better, he LISTENED to Naruto, what's Sasuke's stupid horrible deal?

First, I think it's pretty awful to compare their pasts. As horrible as both had it, they're quite different. I hope I don't really need to get more into it-- there are similarities, yes. But they are different.

Sasuke as a character can be very frustrating. He becomes increasingly cruel, he devastates the heroes. But this is what he was designed to do, to provide the conflict-- and, despite everything, it's understandable to me. Whatever Naruto can do, Sasuke had LOST all his precious people, and has become probably a little deranged in this Itachi thing. He can't just say, "Oh, right, you're my new brother, so I guess I can just let bygones be bygones, my bad." Everyone died. He's always been obsessed with his brother. These things don't change.

Gaara had nothing, but because of his similarity to Naruto, what Naruto did was able to get through to him. He was RIPE for the changing, because he was miserable, and there was nothing to make him stay that way.


And it's also very interesting, to me, to read that Gaara's such a better person than Sasuke.

Gaara killed many, many people. On a whim. Some were assasins, and he did have a demon thirsting for blood, plus some insomniac insanity (which we see him dealing well with post Naruto). But he still killed them. And though he reformed, he won't kill anymore, it doesn't make it OK. Gaara probably feels no remorse for them, and probably has a lot of difficulty with that concept to those strangers, when it isn't someone like a sibling or Naruto. Not to say that because he isn't sorry, he's more guilty-- no, not at all, he's a stunted kid, that sucks. But reform doesn't make the past go away, it just means striving for a better future.

Sasuke ripped a hole in Naruto and turned his back on his connections. He didn't kill Naruto. And I cannot help but think, in his twisted logic, by getting away from his connections, he was also protecting them. Because his last connections died. Because he was going to a bad place. Because the bonds weren't making him strong enough, and heck, maybe they'd be better off without him too. And because he's selfish, but let him be. He's twelve. He thinks if he feels things he won't ever be able to kill his brother, and his brother, let's remind ourselves, slaughtered. his. entire. clan.

Why, why, why, why is that worse? Why is Sasuke's being a bitch to his friends so much worse than killing a lot of people? Gaara killed loads when he was in his dark place. Sasuke was a bastard to people who cared about him when he was in his. Gaara threatened to kill Kankuro, probably would have if not for Temari. He. Kept. Trying. To. Kill. Lee! And Lee's such love.

:/ I love all these guys. Sasuke's irritating, sure. But Gaara's not a saint. And Sasuke's not the devil. I swear.

Comments

[icemilk.livejournal.com]

Fucking AMEN.

I'd go on. But you said it all. And I love you.

♥

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

♥ we must all say a prayer to the jesus fox.

[deidarachan.livejournal.com]

People like you make me so happy for my fandom. ♥
Have my babies?

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

:D I'm one of those people?! Score!

...But I'd leave them in the grocery store. In the freezer.

[ryo0oki.livejournal.com]

I always love comparing Sasuke to anyone else Naruto's reformed... Gaara, Neji, Sai... etc. Because for all those people, I wanted them to stay ebil/semi-ebil. For Sasuke, I just want Naruto to get through to him. ;O Find that interesting.

Anyway, I totally agree.

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

Ahaha. Perhaps its a rebellion against the obvious? We knew Sasuke had to leave, especially if we read the bit Kishimoto said about Sasuke being planned as the rival. But due to storyness, it was fairly obvious the other kids would be reformed-- unless Naruto finally killed them.

I'm a big ol' softy, because most of those guys (with Sai, emotionless as he is/was, a bit up in the air) weren't very happy before the light slapped them upside their heads. So I'd have liked him to get through to everyone. ... but would have been just as happy otherwise. I'm easy to please!

[ryuuraigeki.livejournal.com]

People really ought to stop bashing Sasuke. X/ He's not 'evil', just out of options and backed into a corner. I think most people would have done what he did, if they were him. But at any rate....yeah. Sasuke doesn't go around randomly murdering people, yet gets more hate than Gaara? Bah.

Most people who hate Sasuke don't look past his words, and Sasuke's hardly the open type. You have to look past just what he's saying, because what he's saying and what he's feeling are often two very different things.

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

I think Sasuke gets bashed more than Itachi. DOES ITACHI GET BASHED? Because, yeah. His options, as far as he could see them in his desperate and recently Itachi disturbed state, were gone. Corner. Literally, by those sound folk. As far as we know, he doesn't even randomly kill with Orochimaru.

Exactly. He was so full of BS, at least as far as the "whim" goes, because we saw him at the time. (Like Sasori saying he wouldn't care if Chiyo died, yet not taking the opening her attack gave him). Sasuke's been convincing himself of all that for the past three years. It's impossible to see what he's feeling now, because he's had three years to perfect how he wants to be perceived, how he wants to be.

[yira-heerai.livejournal.com]

If there's one thing I've ever learned from life, it's that people will not stop with comparisons. It just.. yeah XD; It happens. Sasuke's dad did it to Sasuke, which helped to spark his obsession with Itachi. The kids and teachers at school did it too. I'm not trying to explain it away, but that's just what happens.

I think one argument that's used a lot in Sasuke-bashing is that the basher knows someone in real life who's been through tons of crap and still go on without really whining/bitching/whatnot. Another comparison. Again, it dosn't make it right, but it happens. I can't say that it's human nature, but it's certainly a common nature that I've observed.

Your summaries kill me in a good way too. XD

If I were to say anything about the two in any sort of similar comparison..thing, it's that Gaara's a recovering psycho and Sasuke's on the road to it XD;; Has been for a long time. He hasn't quite hit full insanity and probably won't until the big fight with Itachi or after it. That's.. my personal opinion.

And honestly? I hadn't heard Gaara being called a saint O_o; I honestly hadn't. I had to laugh when I saw it here. He's so not XD;; He's a good guy now, but he's no freaking saint. Even Naruto with his jokingly called Jesus powers is no saint. Sure he's closer to it than the other two but no XD;

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

OK, I totally exaggerate. XD I have never heard Gaara be referred to as a saint. Saint Gaara, of the Church of Naruto. Lazarus to Jesus, yoyoyo. .. Ahem yes, but I definitely did exaggerate -- and nor did I ever see Sasuke seriously called a devil. It's words I chose and blew out of proportion from some attitudes.

But, yeah! It's natual to compare, I know. I just can't help but protest, sometimes, when my mind cracks. I'd be cool with you explaining it away. I compare, plenty! I probably would go ahead and call it human nature, myself, because everything has meaning depending on relationships. ..And symbols.. languages... flashbacks from the course I finished last semester.. Relativity, man!

I agree completely-- I was kind of skimming on that toward the end, with the dark place thing, but you hit the nail on the head. Gaara's getting over the psycho, and Sasuke's hitting it head-on.

[sexytwist.livejournal.com]

Yay, a well written logical, rational Sasuke discussion post! I have hope for this community again!

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

Wee! I'm glad I managed to be somewhat rational, since I felt a bit ranty. And was less eloquent and more silly.

[tomato-uchiha.livejournal.com]

awesome job, very well and fairly put ;D

Once upon a time the kazekage turned to his wife, said, hey baby, you're pregnant, lets stick something effed up in your belly and see what happens. She said, huh? And died. XDD mind if i quote that?

it wasn't a whim, sasuke was just trying to fight his homoerotic tendencies towards naruto. x3

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

Thank you! And quote it as much as you like :D.

Obviously. That almost kiss.

[pyroinsomnia.livejournal.com]

My god, I loved this. *-* I have no words. XD

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

♥ I can do speechless!

[ex-duelist.livejournal.com]

I've always thought the way Kishimoto handled Gaara was something of a mistake... yeah, it was cool that he got to be Kazekage, but I really can't see him reforming himself so completely in only 2-3 years. He was way-far-out-there-psycho and, as of the end of the Chuunin Exams plot, only barely beginning to see that there could be a different way. I think it would've been more realistic to take it slower, myself. I also don't think it's fair to compare him and Sasuke for that reason -- because it's hardly fair to say Sasuke should have listened to Naruto like Gaara did, when Gaara's baptism into the First Church of Naruto feels so rushed and forced.

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

Heck, he'd begun his humungous reform only a few months after Naruto.

While I see what you're saying, it didn't throw me off track completely. The unrealistic bit might have been his having been a psycho for six years, maybe more, and completely tossing that bit of him away. But it's not necessarily fair to say he did. At least he was less rushed than Sai. XD

Anyway, with Gaara, he had begun to have issues with his way -- we see him trouble twice by his encounters with Lee and Gai (and by calling Gai a busybody, and then by Sakura's protecting Sasuke. He's troubled by these, enough to have serious cracks in his stoic, psycho shell. He was a miserable kid, and after Yashamaru, chose to live in his psychotic, everyone die now ok, way. But he wasn't Happy -- we see his want for love and recognition in that way by the fact that Lee and Sakura actually are able to remind him of what still DOES affect him.

And because his entire life was proving himself stronger by killing, THAT meant he was alive, THAT meant he had an existence that couldn't be taken, the ONLY thing that mattered... when Naruto defeated him, it shattered his purpose completely. He needed a new one. Naruto was like him, Naruto was stronger-- because of people. And Gaara leapt at it like so much crack. :D

His ability to put himself away so quickly can probably be linked to the fact that, while insomnia made him a little unhinged, he's also become very.. stoic, very controlled, very mute and below the surface. He's controlling himself from sleeping, lest he lose himself in sleep. But I bet if he snapped afterward at any point, it would have been terrible. He probably has some kind of split-personality going on that we may never get to see, due to the extraction of Shukaku.

sorry for the essay! :O

[ciardhapagan.livejournal.com]

The difference that makes Gaara a better person is when they were really given a choice Gaara chose to reconnect to others and Sasuke chose to cut himself off completely, to singlemindedly follow his path of vengence come hell or high water.

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

True!

But was it a choice? It wasn't a choice. Gaara's purpose of killing had been destroyed when Naruto was stronger. Gaara had nothing. Never does Naruto say to people, "OK, right hand or left. Right means you can have a sunny picnic with me and my pals, left means you're EVIL, how could you pick left?!" Gaara, with nothing, saw the opportunity to have something, and leapt at it. There was nothing holding him back.

Sasuke was backed into a corner by the recent sight of Itachi-- Itachi who DID use his special eye on his brother, in order to make him see the constant slaughter of the clan again and again. Just to make sure he had his priorities straight. He'd been proved weaker again and again, and was having his previous weakness's effect shoved in his face--because he blames himself for his clan. He's disturbed, desperate, and doesn't want to involve others in HIS black black path.

It's selfish and uncool, but heck, that's the plot :D

[oddrid.livejournal.com]

Oh my god people think Gaara's better than Sasuke? Hahahahaha that's so wrong. I love Gaara, but I still have major issues with him when I see the episode where he fights Lee. (AND THEN GAI SAVES HIM S:LKDJF:LSDKJF:SLDK AND THEN I CRY. I CRY BLOOD.)

Anyway, kudos to you! And I agree with you wholeheartedly and all that jazz. Fun read. ♥

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

YOU CRY BLOOD TOO?! I just boggle so much. Everyone's entitled to their own opinion, but to say, this guy had it worse and he's okay, so, the other one sucks. The mind. is. blown.

♥

[kissing-off.livejournal.com]

"Sasuke as a character can be very frustrating. He becomes increasingly cruel, he devastates the heroes. But this is what he was designed to do, to provide the conflict..."

THANK YOU.

Sometimes it seems like people forget that in a story there is a plot, and in order to establish and further it -- to make it interesting -- there have to be twists. Sasuke can't just roll over and give into his bonds (where would the fun be in that? And it's completely OOC). Kishimoto's keeping this interesting and I appreciate it.

Wonderful, wonderful post, by the way. I love all of it.

[a-white-rain.livejournal.com]

Think of it this way - without Sasuke? THE MANGA WOULD BECOME FILLERS.

[bloodnblack.livejournal.com]

It's people like you who post the rhyme and reason behind fandoms in this community that make me happy :D

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

and here I am with one of my first posts :D. glad I made you happy!

[heron-advocate.livejournal.com]

Speaking as someone who has Gaara as their second favorite charrie and doesn't care much for Sasuke, I completely agree. :D I would have cried if Lee had died, he's my favorite. D: And can I just say that the way you worded this little analysis cracked me up at times. ^^


Naruto rocks his world...

Hahahaha--it's canon! ^^


I might not like Sasuke all that much, but I understand his purpose and also recognize that the series would probably be really, really boring without him. He annoyed me TONS towards the beginning, but it lessened as the series progressed especially after he almost died omg *tear*. By the time he didn't kill Naruto, I'd kind of grudgingly admitted that okay, maybe he wasn't so bad, but I still didn't have to like him. XD

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

Oh, heck, people can dislike Sasuke all they want. Or worship at a shrine made of bubblegum and earwax. (Oh, Helga). But, yes :D I'm glad it worked for you!

SO CANON. But then, EVERYTHING is canon in Naruto. Everything.

I'm so bad at disliking characters these days. My flamer days died with my teeny-bopper experienced in Final Fantasy. Howevs, it makes me happy that you disliked Sasuke-- rather, than, say, Sakura. Though I just put words in your mouth, a Sasuke dislike is unusual!

[rainbowlasers.livejournal.com]

I love you. Have my babies.

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

But.. but.. I would leave them in the grocery store!

[to-salute.livejournal.com]

Just wanted to thank you for such a lovely essay. I love character analysis and you did a wonderful job. You get an internet cookie (the good kind!).

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

You're very welcome! :D I like the good kind, and accept with less grace and more gusto.

[annwyd.livejournal.com]

I think I love you.

Personally? I think Gaara had the worst past of anyone in the series, and he did the worst things because of it. That doesn't make other characters with other pasts and other issues horrible people for not changing in the exact same way Gaara did.

Because say it with me: they are different characters.

I've had a saying for a while now:

Every time someone claims that Sasuke sucks because Naruto had just as angsty a past as him and grew up to be nice, Kishimoto kills a kitten. Won't somebody please think of the kittens?

Maybe I should add Gaara to that. D:

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

Amen. I'm extremely tentative about putting the "worst past" label on any of them, because so many of them had it rough, and the differences in the bad as well as good are.. complicated. Having all these bonds and then being helpless as they're ripped away? Versus having relatively no bonds and a lot of hate. Probably, Gaara did have the worst, did the worst, as you said. It's all relative, and a whole new can of worms :/.

It's the whole, "Gaara had the worst past but HE'S OK, so what's wrong with SASUKE, he just sucks."

Ahaha, your saying wins above all things. Gah, god forbid people be different and act different and make mistakes, however severe. The poor kittens :/ So many must now be dead, and more will die upon adding Gaara to it.

[silvertailstora.livejournal.com]

You I like.

I didn't lie Sasuke much for the better part of the series - indeed,he's still not one of my favorites - but I think that more because I'm picking up Naruto vibes and just want him to 'see the light',so to speak.I can't see how that would happen,though,nor do I really want it to,because...That's not Sasuke.It's just not his character to change like Gaara or Neji did.I do feel sorry for the boy,because really - as obsessed as he is with his brother,killing Itachi will not make magical rainbows of happiness burst forth from the ground and fix everything.It won't bring his clan back,it won't make him happy - I don't see how he could give up on killing Itachi,but it's killing Sasuke too.He's all ready admitted that he doesn't care if Orochimaru has his body,as long as they defeat Itachi.

As for Gaara - that boy was so fucked up a lifetime wouldn't be long enough to fix all his problems.I think in the manga right now,he hasn't become so much a reformed 'good guy' as he has learned to deal with people more and think of them as equal,rather than things to take out his emo on.He used to act,really,more like his demon would than a human,and...God,the boy was messed up and probably always will be.Let's just leave it at that.

Though please don't drag the Lee fight into this.I love Lee as well,but there are some people who go "omg Gaara almost killed Lee he's EVIL" because of that.They both knew the risks,losing your life is part of being a shinobi.If they weren't ready to take that chance,neither should have entered the exam.Actually,as cruel as it sounds,I think that was a good thing for Lee.The time he took out from his training allowed him to stop and think about what was going on in his life and just what risks he was taking every day.I think it helped him to mature a lot,and that's always a good thing.

Sasuke dislike I can understand,but Sasuke hate?No.Thanks for writing this,I'm going to mem it. ;)

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

I like you, too :D And your icon is. well. guh.

But, yes -- I agree with everything. It IS killing Sasuke, and Gaara isn't so much "reformed" in the typical way. He did the demon for a good long time. He wants to protect people--but only so that they need him. It's... still pretty sad. It's sort of like, they only mean something, they who HATED HIM for so long, because.. agh, just fdkjmf.

I'm sorry! I didn't mean the Lee fight specifically-- just after, when Gaara went after him again? Yes, death was a danger in that exam. Lee and Gaara were quite prepared for it. I can't say it was good Lee was almost crippled, if not for Tsunade, but it was something he could hardly call unfair.

:D sure! ♥ I've never been memmed before!

[heron-advocate.livejournal.com]

BUT IT HAS US CAPTIVATED. D:

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

Daww. Yeah-- I mean, Sasuke is supposed to be the rival and so cause feelings of dislike. So I'm not against people hating Sasuke, people are entitled to their own feelings. Personally, I totally don't.

And, word. If I commented on that, I'd be saying the same thing XD. The reason Sasuke left was because Itachi gave him that reminder, plus everything else.

[kaworu-chan.livejournal.com]

With Sasuke's character I've passed through several stages. First I loved him as a fangirl, because he's interestind, intelligent, mature (I know he's twelve but he has passed through so many horrible things that he had to grow up to survive to himself and his eight/twelve years old weakness), hot XD, indeed... I got to think seriously of joining Sakura's and Ino's club. Later I thought he was too emo for me... to reserved, I guess I was in denial of him falling deep in the darkness and becoming the character he is destined (Neji?) to be, this happened while I was starting to love Naruto's innocent, open, direct and aggresive honesty and loyalty (you can't love or hate Sasuke without any kind of Naruto's influence, after all he's his best friend). After the battle, I must admit, I hated Sasuke with all my heart and all my soul, and I let that feeling grow irrationally (does that word exist in English?). But in this moment I think I agree with most of what you've said here. It's extremist to judge immediately Sasuke (and Gaara) because of a few scenes and without taking into account the whole story and the plans Kishimoto has for the character in the future.
In this moment Sasuke isn't my favourite character, and I still can't stand a little bit his angsty aura, but it's fair to say he's an admirable (very human) character, not the devil, as you say.
THANKS FOR THE POST, I REALLY ENJOYED IT! ^^.

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

Ahaha, it's OK, I wouldn't want to be Sasuke's friend right now either. SOMEDAY, SOMEDAY, WHEN HE'S CALMED DOWN A LITTLE.

Sure thing! :D

[reichi-heika.livejournal.com]

I--... I can't really... think right now 'cause my computer's just gone through a reformatting and I'm musicless and unstable... But...

Thank you. Just... thanks. ♥

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

♥ I am sorry about the musiclessness! Anything I can do to help?

[rasenth.livejournal.com]

Once upon a time the kazekage turned to his wife, said, hey baby, you're pregnant, lets stick something effed up in your belly and see what happens. She said, huh? And died.
That made me laugh SOOOO HAAARD by the way. XDDDD

OKAY! NOW ON TOPIC!

Intelligent Naruto fandom discussion always makes me SQUEEEEE!!! xD *LOVE*

Hahaha, it's just so IRONIC isn't it?
My little opinion on why people react more strongly to Sasuke than characters who actually HAVE killed somebody (Gaara, as well as Itachi, Orochimaru, ect ect...) is that in FICTION, people connect more to PERSONALITY than action, if you get what I mean. I'm pretty sure not many people met people like Gaara. Not caring about humanity at all and killing at a whim. Not something you see everyday. But Sasuke is more human. He's a selfish, arrogant bastard, to put it bluntly (I DO love him by the way. XD). I suppose the fact that people understand his personality so well is what CAUSES people to hate him so much. That bastardliness is what makes people hate him, even moreso than the weight of murder. It doesn't follow logically, but it's the truth. @.@;

Anywaaay, lovely commentary! :D Very thought-provoking. XD We should posts like this more often!

[green-and-warty.livejournal.com]

xD Glad!

Aaah, true. Sasuke's got all those annoying human weaknesses, to an extreme level, and it rubs people the wrong way. It's understandable, because he is a jerk, and has various other detractions from his persona. But then his betratal is worse than mass-slaughter, and while the circumstances were iffy for the latter... It's just complicated.

:D I like thoughtful posts! I'm glad you liked it.

[frodolass.livejournal.com]

Why, why, why, why is that worse? Why is Sasuke's being a bitch to his friends so much worse than killing a lot of people?

I think it's because, in a way, betrayal is a greater sin than murdering a stranger. Classical literature has long since imprinted upon society this universal concept - case in point, in Dante's Inferno, it is the Betrayers who are reserved for the deepest circle of Hell.

Think upon it - which is worse: a. Getting killed by a random stranger, or b. Being betrayed by someone you loved and trusted. Most people would choose the later as the worse case scenario.

In this sense, Sasuke, Gaara, and Naruto all share the same pain. Sasuke was betrayed by his brother when he slaughtered his clan. Gaara was betrayed when the single person whom he believed genuinely cared for him tried to kill him as a result of his own misplaced hate. And Naruto was betrayed by Sasuke when the one person with whom he felt the oldest and strongest of bonds, someone he trusted as a team mate, a friend, and a brother, thrust his fist into his chest. You cannot escape the fact that Sasuke indeed meant to kill Naruto, and would have done so had it not been for the Kyuubi healing him. Just because he changed his mind afterward doesn't change the fact that he had become his brother - a betrayer.

Gaara has never committed this sin since he had never felt any loyalty or love for anyone until Naruto showed him the value of precious people. After his encounter with Naruto, he was able to absorb the lesson and grow from it, becoming a better person, where as Sasuke turned a deaf ear to all the pleas and advice of his friends and teachers, thus degressing instead of progressing from becoming a fully actualized individual. In that sense, many people, including myself, believe Gaara to have a much greater strength of character and will than Sasuke currently is displaying.

[kemonomichi.livejournal.com]

So true! Why can't people (and by that I mean Sasuke-fangirls) see that? Oh yes, because they want to keep their fantasy of Sasuke fucking my poor Naruto and getting his emo-ness healed by his magical asshole.

OMG.That's so CANON. *sarcasm*

[shatteredcross.livejournal.com]

Sasuke ripped a hole in Naruto and turned his back on his connections.

Yes.. cuz when I move to a different town but don't want to be bothered by my old associates.. i kill them.

He didn't kill Naruto.

No.. course not.. he expected CANDY to fall out of that hole, which i'm sure Sasuke would have shared with his now neutral and disconnected brother.. mmmm.. emo candy!

And I cannot help but think, in his twisted logic, by getting away from his connections, he was also protecting them

This is like George W. Bush joining forces with the terrorists in a move to bring peace to the world through terrorism. "I'm going to protect you, by joining the person who has tried to kill you.. and pretty much everyone.. even knowing he'll try it again - and hell, I'll even HELP him this time around.. because.. yeah, i'm sure this is Sound logic."

Because his last connections died.

And so they will keep on dying again and again and again. Damn connections. Should have got T Mobile.

Because he was going to a bad place.

Neverland Ranch.. he's going to Micheal Jackson.. no one can deny this.

Because the bonds weren't making him strong enough, and heck, maybe they'd be better off without him too

Yeah.. pesky powerful unique all seeing blood limits.. We don't want them. Them is for weaklings!.. I spit on them. Hang on I've gotta wipe all this excess sarcasim off my keyboard.

And because he's selfish, but let him be. He's twelve.

"Let him be"?! I got the living crap beat out of me every time I did something wrong when i was 3-15 years old. And dammit, thanks to that, you don't see me joining forces with Micheal Jackson.. i think i'm better off. being 12 is no excuse for being a bratty asshole who lusts for murder in the first.

He thinks if he feels things he won't ever be able to kill his brother, and his brother, let's remind ourselves, slaughtered. his. entire. clan.

Yeah.. I'm sure we've ALL forgotten that.. Seeing as someone mentions it every gawddamn time the name Uchiha is even mispelled someplace, like they haven't done enough fuckin flashbacks of it in the series already. Eh.. what? say again? what clan was killed? I think my memory is going foggy.. You better REMIND me again..except.. he didn't really kill his ENTIRE clan.. but thats just nitpicking and i think i'm above that. somewhat.

Comparing these two guys is useless.. they're a complete mismatch. Gaara killed people, yes. To us, a bunch of faceless people no one will ever feel for. NPCs.. no one cares for the flower girl you sell your Shells to everyday.. you'd sell to anyone nearest the western gate of Prontera.. who cares if someone killed her? As far as story goes, no one is gonna care. But people WILL care if a mother bastardizing emo kid is gonna start punching holes in other kids' hearts. Thank the Writer that Naruto moved those few inches so Sasuke ONLY impaled his lung. Excuse me.. the sarcasm is puddling again..

Let us remember one particular thing.. Sasuke had a normal childhood up until 8 years old.. Gaara never really had a childhood.. from the moment he was bonded and birthed.. he was being devoured.. EATEN ALIVE, SOUL FIRST. You can't ditch the whole insomnia thing.. it was the only thing keeping him from losing himself.. which inevitably was just one of the things to make him lose his mind. STOP TRYING TO TOSS THE "CRAZY" EXCUSE OUT THE WINDOW! If we in the American judicial system did that.. There'd be a lot more mental poeple getting cornholed or killed in our lovely day care prisons.

Corn.

No body likes the drug user, but everyone loves the guy who came back from rehab.. why? because he was the one was able to get smart, get help, and get over the habit and over the PAST.. There's your public service announcement, people. A fuck up who admits he is a fuck up is better than the prick addict who is killing himself and hurting everyone around him, all while in denial and pretending everything is going as planned.

The competition is over. The balots have been drawn and Florida has been counted twice. PICKLE COUNT RESULTS = Sauske 190,933,591 - Gaara = 2

Garra is less of a pickled bitch.. comparison over!

[kemonomichi.livejournal.com]

Ahhhhh. I love it when you compare Sasuke and Gaara.

You = ♥ ♥ ♥

Why are the good ones always taken?!?! XP