This chapter was initially title \u201cTransformations.\u201d But rereading it, there\u2019s a connection between the idea of writing poetry in a dying language and of Katsuro transforming to Naruto, even though he doesn\u2019t know the whole of the plan. So the theme stood out as being about beginnings, in spite of not knowing where the journey is going to end up. Hence \u201cA New Beginning.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u2022 Bringing back some old characters, introducing some new ones. Each helps show a facet of Katsuro\/Naruto\u2019s personality, or will aid in their development, presently and in the future.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Raiden and Fumio <\/i>\u2014 These two will serve to show the difference between Katsuro and Naruto, and how first has to restrain his anger, while the latter no longer as to. And they will serve as the only link to this time of transformation for Katsuro.<\/p>\n
\u2014 Masato<\/i> \u2014 He represents an inner sanctuary for Katsuro, a place where important things are preserved, waiting for a time when they can be useful again. On the surface, it\u2019s only about Katsuro\u2019s necklace. But later in the story, the Rain poetry will help Katsuro understand that some things are worth preserving and even fighting for.<\/p>\n
\u2014 And the long awaited Naruto<\/i> \u2014 He is someone that is part Katsuro\u2026but part something else entirely.<\/p>\n
\u2022 His past\u2026. That\u2019s all she was now.<\/i> \u2014 There is a little bit of intentional mixed messaging here. Katsuro tells himself Sakura is in his past, yet he worries about the necklace. Even if he won\u2019t admit it to himself, it still carries meaning for him. So the fact that he\u2019s going to great lengths to hide it, instead of just stashing it somewhere, means that deep down he still feels something\u2026.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Katsuro\u2019s hand instantly went to the back of his neck. \u201cOh! I\u2019m sorry, I didn\u2019t mean to interrupt\u2014\u201c but Masato stopped him. \u2014<\/i> Katsuro\u2019s movement is very Katsuro. He feels comfortable here, so he acts the way he usually does. But things are about to change in his life, and it will be a long time before he feels comfortable enough to slip into these old habits again.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Mists of color \u2014 pale blue, sandy brown and moss green \u2014 drifted across the background. Only flecks of bright gold illuminated the dreamy scene. Long streams of ink-black writing tumbled vertically down the page, tracing a path like a falling leaf down each line.<\/i> \u2014 The description is based on real ancient Japanese scrolls, hand painted with scenes or sprays of color and used as a beautiful background behind hand-written poetry and tales. For an example, checkout The Tale of Genji<\/i> on Wikipedia. The writing is based on the Manyogama<\/i>, Japan\u2019s oldest writing system which is now obsolete, only written or read by experts in that style. I liked the idea that modern eyes would not be able to unlock the old texts. It applies here with Katsuro basically realizing that he is witnessing the death of an entire culture. More on this to come\u2026.<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cIt\u2019s a hidden base, only used by Akatsuki members for certain\u2026rituals. Nothing you need to worry about.\u201d \u2014 <\/i>As I\u2019m sure everyone\u2019s figured out, it\u2019s the cave where the Akatsuki extract the bijuus.<\/p>\n
\u2022 It struck him that these eyes didn\u2019t look like him at all. These eyes looked like they belonged to someone else. Only he didn\u2019t know who\u2026.<\/i> \u2014 So, in a lot of fics, Naruto\u2019s eyes are this lovely part of his description. All sky-bright cerulean orbs. But I wanted to make Katsuro a little uncomfortable with the it all. Sometimes blue can look warm\u2026or sometimes it can look really, really cold\u2026. And I think you can guess the direction I\u2019m going to take here!<\/p>\n
\u2022 \u201cYou look like the\u2014\u201d There was note of honest surprise in Itachi\u2019s voice, but he stopped himself. Whatever it was, he thought better of sharing it. \u201cYou look like you\u2019re from the Leaf, with your blond hair.\u201d<\/i> \u2014 Itachi gets it! Naruto looks exactly like the Fourth Hokage.<\/p>\n
\u2022 Itachi merely shrugged, a ghost of a smile flickering across his lips. \u201cNothing. It\u2019s a delicate thing, removing a jutsu of this nature. It wasn\u2019t meant to be removed.\u201d<\/i> \u2014 Katsuro picks up on Itachi\u2019s words about the jutsu. Eventually he will put together that perhaps Itachi hadn\u2019t meant for him to mature, and then he\u2019ll begin to question the implication: What are Itachi\u2019s true plans for him?<\/p>\n
\u2022 Katsuro nodded and brought his hands up. An identical copy popped into existence beside him. But where Katsuro stood relaxed, sweaty hair sticking out in all directions and his too-small pants unbuttoned at the waist, the Naruto beside him appeared in well-fitting black fatigues, hair tamed and orderly. He stood like a soldier, shoulders squared, feet apart and hands clasped behind him, as if he\u2019d done it a thousand times.<\/i> \u2014 I can imagine this is not what everyone wanted. Lol, even Katsuro. But wait till next chapter and this turn of events will make sense. As a reader it\u2019s always frustrating to see the main character transform based on a weak set of events. Katsuro has transformed physically into Naruto, but he is going to become the Naruto that serves as a loyal Akatsuki member, then he has to transform emotionally as well.<\/p>\n
Next chapter: 40 – The Death of Katsuro<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
\n
Spoiler\u00a0Notes:<\/strong><\/p>\n \u2022 Raiden and Fumio \u2014 These characters will serve as markers for the change in Katsuro\u2019s character. As Katsuro, he has been unable to fully stand up to these bullies and put them in their place. Even when he\u2019s in charge of them. But as Naruto, he will have the power to make whatever examples he likes out of whomever he chooses. Naruto may finally prove victorious over his bullies, but like anything else, his new position in Akatsuki and its unrestrained power may have some hidden consequences down the road.<\/p>\n \u2022 And at the next turn of the footpath, a lone campaign tent suddenly hung before him, grey and phantomlike behind the dark columns of trees. \u2014<\/i> So the description of the tent is supposed to be slightly creepy, slightly ethereal. It\u2019s not in sync with the rest of the camp, its men or its missions. Sets the tone for this place and the man in side as being something elusive. The supply tent, functioning as a hidden sanctuary in the heart of the violent camp (and only its true worth seen by Katsuro), is a literal metaphor for the \u201cHidden Places\u201d theme of the temple and Katsuro\u2019s time with Sakura. He is leaving his necklace behind him, locking it away in one of those \u2018hidden places\u2019 as he moves on with the direction of his life. So just like the locked room in the temple, it will be there waiting, or so he believes, but he will have to work hard to find it again. It will be an emotional as well as physical journey to return to this hidden place. And since Masato is so old\u2026.<\/p>\n \u2022 Masato\u2019s Rain Country poetry<\/i> \u2014 on the surface they are a nice reason for Katsuro to rethink his decision to not hide his necklace under a tree, in the future, the poetry scrolls will come to have some importance to him. First in saving them and returning them to the Rain, and much later when he realizes what a village and the culture behind it is worth, and that you must do everything you can to try to save it. Whether it\u2019s the Rain\u2026or another village that you once thought was your sworn enemy.<\/p>\n \u2022 Piercing blue eyes stared back at him, surprising him with their color. Had they been that blue in his childhood? He couldn\u2019t remember. But even in the dark cave they picked up the light and reflected it back, giving him the impression of something cold and hard. Like the silvered edge of his blade after he\u2019d sharpened it. The glacial blue gaze was more than just a little unfamiliar\u2026.<\/i> \u2014 More on Naruto\u2019s description in the next chapter. But right now, Katsuro is getting used to the change. And most notably, he doesn\u2019t identify himself as Naruto yet. Next chapter, he will.<\/p>\n \u2022 Itachi reached in his bag and unfurled a new Akatsuki cloak. But instead of stopping at Katsuro, Itachi flung it around the shoulders of the new Naruto next to him. The whirl of black and red terminated with a ripple of the hem over the ground. Katsuro turned to watch the whole spectacle with open curiosity. Dressed like Itachi, this Naruto was both fierce and ominous. But he was not impressed. He smoothed out a single wrinkle that ran down the red cloud on his chest then resumed his stance. Face scrubbed free of all emotion, he silently awaited his orders.<\/i> \u2014 Even though it\u2019s explained by Itachi that the new Naruto clone is basically just a shell, Naruto\u2019s clones will eventually take on more of his personality as he eases into his new identity. But in this chapter, Katsuro\u2019s having a bit of an identity crisis. Changing back is harder than he expected. There has been a lot of freedom in being the kid, even though he didn\u2019t realize it. Now he\u2019s looking at becoming a man, basically overnight. So he\u2019s going to have to readjust his thinking somewhat. The physical differences between Katsuro and Naruto help illustrate that. Standing side by side, they both have the same physical traits, but Naruto stands like a soldier, chest out, hands back and every hair in place. Katsuro is slouching, standing in too-small pants, hair going everywhere, sweating, and questioning every request from Itachi. They look the same but couldn\u2019t be<\/i> more different. Katsuro has to emotionally accept the transformation as well.<\/p>\n This chapter was initially title \u201cTransformations.\u201d But rereading it, there\u2019s a connection between the idea of writing poetry in a dying language and of Katsuro transforming to Naruto, even though he doesn\u2019t know the whole of the plan. So the theme stood out as being about beginnings, in spite of not knowing where the journey […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_newsletter_access":"","_jetpack_dont_email_post_to_subs":false,"_jetpack_newsletter_tier_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paywalled_content":false,"_jetpack_feature_clip_id":0,"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":"","jetpack_post_was_ever_published":false},"categories":[12],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2478","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-chapter-notes","has-post-title","has-post-date","has-post-category","has-post-tag","has-post-comment","has-post-author"],"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","jetpack_shortlink":"https:\/\/wp.me\/p5hctF-DY","jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=2478"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":3173,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2478\/revisions\/3173"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=2478"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=2478"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/swirlingpetals.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=2478"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}