This episode was great, with excellent beautiful moments, though also included notable flaws. The ending for instance was pretty disappointing, but overall, the rest was amazing. For one side, the best side, Sakura keeps flying next to Naruto unconcious on the sand cloud, accompanied by Gaara. She keeps trying to heal him, but then, the cloak covering her disappears, and when she checks up the pulse on his right hand, doesn't feel it. She gets closer to his chest, but doesn't hear his heart beating. She asks Gaara why the medical ninjutsu is not working, so he finally updates her, the Kyuubi was extracted. She is shocked but aware of what it means, and then Gaara tells what the Kyuubi told him: to go with the 4th Hokage, where his other half is sealed, and put it inside Naruto, that way they can save him. The teleport option is not possible because the seal is on Kurama, and he's being taken inside the Gedo Mazo. So the only chance is to reach the 4th Hokage as soon as possible. Still, they have a long way til there. So Sakura decides to use the remaining of her chakra to make an incision on Naruto's left side, and puts her left hand inside, reaching his heart, literally. Sakura starts pressing so the heart can keep pumping blood to the lungs. As long as she's there, she won't let him die so easily. Gaara looks at the scene, surprised, and accelerates, she simply agrees. Then, she starts giving Naruto mouth-to-mouth breathing, while helping his heart to pump, constantly. Sakura reminds the young Naruto, talking of his dream to be Hokage, and now thinks how that once stupid dream doesn't seem so silly. "I won't let you die. You're not dying on me... You hear me! No matter the cost, there's no way I will let you die! Your dream is right in front of your eyes!" All these thoughts while she keeps doing RCP mouth-to-mouth, and helping his heart to pump blood. In the meantime, Obito still struggles with Black Zetsu, and begs Kakashi to destroy his eye. Seemingly they fight, and slowly Obito's will begins to get weaker. Minato prepares a rasengan, Kakashi a chidori, but then, Kurama tells the 4th to sense the chakra around. He realizes that the other half of the Kyuubi is gone, Kurama says they got delayed here. Then, Gaara and Sakura arrive. She tells what happened, and Gaara says what the Kyuubi told him. Black Zetsu listens carefully. Minato then proceeds with the needed signs, while Gaara and Kakashi deal with Black Zetsu. While thinking in his son, Minato remembers a talk with Kushina: he was leaving home for a mission, she was worried, but he promised he wouldn't die before seeing his son's face. Kushina pondered that when their son is born, she'll have two persons to worry about. Minato tranquilized her, he'll protect him whatever happens, no matter what. But then she got new worries: what if he is too busy being Hokage, and their son wants to be Hokage and doesn't listen anyone, nobody stops him, doesn't understand girls, and challenge his teachers. He felt she was worrying too much, and asked how did she knew their son would be a boy and that he'd want to be Hokage. She said, "Because I'm his mother". He said that he is the Hokage, he won't die so easily, and that he will protect his son no matter what. She asked how he could be so sure, and he said "because I'm his father." He thinks that this time he'll protect him, and just as the Kyuubi's chakra is slipping to Naruto, Black Zetsu appears to stop them. Sakura, Minato, Gaara and Kakashi are stunned, while Black Zetsu attempts to steal the Kyuubi somehow. Before they can stop him, the enemy returns though the underground to Obito. And then, Madara, already as the jinchuriki of the Juubi, arrives. I know. The ending was disappointing, awful to say something. How did Black Zetsu traveled underground to steal the Kyuubi without killing Obito? How is possible that during the last minutes Kakashi or Minato couldn't destroy Obito's Rinnegan, and push Black Zetsu away? It's impossible to understand. By this point, Obito should be dead, with a nice farewell, the right Rinnegan destroyed, and Black Zetsu away. This is a plothole. That's why I prefer to focus on the rest. Seeing Sakura doing what she did, desperately trying to save Naruto's life, "kissing" him while doing mouth-to-mouth breathing, even helping his heart to pump out, was an excellent way to continue the dramatic situation from last chapter. Naruto is half Uzumaki half Namikaze, so he couldn't resist as much as Kushina after the Nine Tails Fox was extracted. There was no option, Sakura did kept Naruto alive, she saved his life doing what surely no one would have done. The moment she remembered the young Naruto, just like when he transformed into the four tails Kyuubi, was really emotive. That innocent, loud, hyperactive, fool, naïve, good hearted, persistant, honest child, with the dream to be Hokage, is the person Sakura is saving. She kept his dream alive. Through her desperate words and thoughts, her tireless efforts, one could tell how much she loves him. Gaara was the witness. For obvious reasons, wasn't a romantic moment, but was without doubt one of the strongest acts of love a person can do for another one. To make the incision and reach his heart was something only a medic can do indeed, and all was written to be Sakura's moment. She has proven her love for Naruto several times during Shippuden, yet this was the top. Since she learned that the jinchuriki dies when the Bijuu is extracted (Shippuden ep 16), her tears to imagine that possibility, she was aware that this could happen. She hoped it wouldn't, trusted Naruto's strength, but now this is the case. He is almost dead, his life on her hands. And is strange considering the ending, because this is one of the two most important moments of Naruto's life. Events like these should tie Naruto and Sakura forever in some ways, given how meaningful it is. She is fulfilling the wife's vows, to hold in sickness and in health, on the verge of death. She is also fulfilling the encharge of Minato, to take care of his son. If Kishimoto wrote this despite the terrible ending and Boruto, means that he wanted Naruto and Sakura together, but he had to change the finale for other reasons. Otherwise, he'd have wrote things different. It's curious that during the war arc, and now, seems that Sakura's love for Naruto is stronger than his love for her. Who would have thought. Then, the other most important moment of Naruto's life was in the day he was born. This leads to Minato's part here. First, was strange that he didn't notice the moment Naruto or the Kyuubi's chakra disappeared. He didn't need Kurama to remind him. Anyway, leaving aside that, his thoughts and the flashback were beautiful. The dialogue with Kushina was perfectly written, a very nice scene with a brilliant score. Kushina is stelar on every apparition, she brings something unique, special to the storyline. She knows her son from before he was born because she is his mother. Therefore, her last words when she was about to die, about pursuing his dream, respecting teachers, find a girl like her. Minato's memory showed his promise, to protect Naruto no matter what. That's why the end was so terrible. He had to fulfill that promise he made to Kushina, and save Naruto now with Kurama. Would have been very touching, tearful to see Naruto wake up with his dad, Sakura, Kakashi and Gaara next to him. A big hug, from the three, a perfect ending for the chapter. This is what I don't get, why did Kishimoto added such beautiful flashback if he would ruin the moment with Black Zetsu? He wrote something perfect to blow it up. Nothing to be done. Then, I cannot forget Gaara. He did behave like a true good friend, even asking about Naruto's state after Black Zetsu intervened. He played a big role here by helping to save Naruto. I guess he wondered how his friend would survive if Kishimoto is delaying the protagonist's resurrection without arguments. Naruto is clinically dead if Sakura doesn't keep sending air to his lungs, so this is a big plothole.
On the other hand, Tobirama realizes he can't use his spirit jutsu to reach Sasuke. He can't perceive his chakra either, and curses Madara. At the other front, a desperate crazy Karin goes forward to reach Sasuke, and breaks part of the wood statue from Spiral Zetsu with the Uzumaki chains. Though she is stabbed with a big branch full of spikes, she recovers and get through with Jugo and Orochimaru's help. Hiruzen is surprised, but Spiral Zetsu soon recovers and returns to deal with him and the others. While Karin and the others run, she feels a presence close to Sasuke, unknown but seemingly dangerous. They hurry up. Tobirama also sees the stranger. In the meantime, Gai, Lee and Tenten are walking slowly from where Obito and Kakashi were. But when they spot the sand clouds with Gaara and Sakura going back there, Gai senses something happened, and decides to return, to Tenten's dismay. Then she realizes how much she misses Neji. In the road, Madara inadvertently spits the pot and the container where Kinkaku and Ginkaku were sealed, and fall over them. They are surprised, especially Tenten who recognizes the items. Regarding Gai's team, their part was very well done. Created some comedy, reminded Neji's importance for the group to balance Gai and Lee's joyful side, and also hinted the future awaiting for them, as Gai will battle Madara. About the other, I agree that Karin has become a hard character to stand. She should have stayed at Konoha, ignored like the rest. How did she survive such stab from Spiral Zetsu, even with her healing abilities, I don't know. Plothole number 99. Why Orochimaru is still around? Who knows. At least the poor Tobirama did have a role since he appeared.
On the other hand, Tobirama realizes he can't use his spirit jutsu to reach Sasuke. He can't perceive his chakra either, and curses Madara. At the other front, a desperate crazy Karin goes forward to reach Sasuke, and breaks part of the wood statue from Spiral Zetsu with the Uzumaki chains. Though she is stabbed with a big branch full of spikes, she recovers and get through with Jugo and Orochimaru's help. Hiruzen is surprised, but Spiral Zetsu soon recovers and returns to deal with him and the others. While Karin and the others run, she feels a presence close to Sasuke, unknown but seemingly dangerous. They hurry up. Tobirama also sees the stranger. In the meantime, Gai, Lee and Tenten are walking slowly from where Obito and Kakashi were. But when they spot the sand clouds with Gaara and Sakura going back there, Gai senses something happened, and decides to return, to Tenten's dismay. Then she realizes how much she misses Neji. In the road, Madara inadvertently spits the pot and the container where Kinkaku and Ginkaku were sealed, and fall over them. They are surprised, especially Tenten who recognizes the items. Regarding Gai's team, their part was very well done. Created some comedy, reminded Neji's importance for the group to balance Gai and Lee's joyful side, and also hinted the future awaiting for them, as Gai will battle Madara. About the other, I agree that Karin has become a hard character to stand. She should have stayed at Konoha, ignored like the rest. How did she survive such stab from Spiral Zetsu, even with her healing abilities, I don't know. Plothole number 99. Why Orochimaru is still around? Who knows. At least the poor Tobirama did have a role since he appeared.
