Manga Reviews (the 2000s): Naruto 3-in-1 Omnibus vol. 2 (Volumes 4-6) by Kishimoto Masashi (2000)

The second volume of “Naruto 3-in-1 Omnibus” (vol. 4-6) and the conclusion of Team Kakashi vs. Zabuza and Haku is featured but also the Chunin Exams in which Naruto, Sasuke and Sakura are pitted against other ninja teams from all over the area in a battle for two scrolls. It’s a battle to the death… How will they fare?

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MANGA TITLE: Naruto 3-in-1 Omnibus Vol. 2 (Volumes 4-6)

STORY AND ART BY: Masashi Kishimoto (岸本斉史)

FIRST PUBLISHED IN JAPAN: SHUEISHA, Inc.

PUBLISHED IN USA BY: VIZ Media, LLC/Shonen Jump Manga

RATED: T for Older Teen

RELEASE DATE: July 5, 2011

In the Land of Waves, Naruto and his teammates Sakura and Sasuke, along with their sensei Kakashi, struggle to protect the bridge builder Tazuna and his family from Gato’s hired thugs. When one of Naruto’s friends falls in battle, Naruto is faced with the most difficult choice of his life. How far will he go to protect his friends? And does he have what it takes to be a hero?

Collects volumes 4-6 in an omnibus edition.

The adventure of Naruto Uzumaki continues in “Naruto-3-in-1” Omnibus Vol. 2 featuring the collected manga volumes 4-6.

Since 1999,”Naruto” created by Kishimoto Masashi, has been one of the most popular manga, anime and video game series in Japan and has easily become a favorite best selling anime/manga series among fans all over the world.

Currently in Japan and also the United States, “Naruto” is currently in “Shippuden” mode focusing on an older teenage Naruto Uzumaki and for fans who were not around when “Naruto” was airing on television or were not around when the manga series was first released, some newer fans may have not had a chance to know how it all began.

Fortunately, Viz Media has released an omnibus for “Naruto” featuring three volumes in one 600-page graphic novel.

“Naruto” is a manga series based on a young boy with big dreams, a boy who dreams about becoming a hokage (the leader of a ninja village) and is very determined in getting stronger to prove that he can one day become a leader. The problem is that he is often teased, ridiculed because his ninja arts has not been like everyone else and because he is often ignored or teased, he has become a bit of a prankster/trouble maker for the village.

But the reason for the ridicule is because Naruto has the spirit of the Fox with Nine Tails sealed inside him.

The Fox Spirit was an evil spirit that it took several ninja clans, great shinobi’s to work together, sacrifice their life in order to make sure that the villages will continually thrive and survive the onslaught from the Fox Spirit and the Fourth Hokage, the champion of the village, Konoha, hidden in the leaves, would seal the Fox Tail spirit in a boy, the boy is Naruto Uzumaki.

And thus the reason why the village has treated Naruto with disdain.

While trying to pass a test to become a ninja, unfortunately Naruto’s ninja arts are so weak that he continually flunks. His teacher Iruka is a littler harsh on him but he really wants Naruto to pass. One day, one of the ninjas in Konoha lied to Naruto and told him that in order to pass and become a ninja, he would have to steal secret scrolls. Naruto, being the naive boy that he is, does so. The ninja who told him to steal it, then tells the village that Naruto has stolen the sacred scrolls of the village that have been under lock and key, in fear that someone can use the jitsu’s for the wrong purpose.

The thing is that Naruto did read one jitsu and has mastered it, he learned to create hundreds of doppelgangers of himself and uses it to protect his teacher Iruka from the ninja traitor. And with his new skills, he has passed to become a real ninja.

From this point on, Naruto Uzumaki joins Team Kakashi and becomes teammates with Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. This will be the team that Naruto will train and go on adventures with but part of the problem is that the team is not exactly well-disciplined and it doesn’t help that Naruto and his teammate Sasuke get on each others nerves.

While these young ninja learn their training, during their first mission, they come in contact with a powerful enemy, Zabuza Momoichi, of the Land of the Mist and his consort Haku.

Will these young ninja who are still being trained, will they be ready to fight against Zabuza and Haku? And can these three young ninja work as a team or will they continue to fight as individuals?

In volume 2 of “Naruto 3-in-1”, the battle between Team Kakashi continues as Naruto wants vengeance against Haku for killing Sasuke. Team Kakashi takes on Zabuza and Sakura protects the bridge-builder Tazuna.

The volume is also the beginning of the Chunin Selection Exams in which young ninjas from different villages have come to the leaf village.

We are introduced to Gaara and friends from the sand village, meanwhile Rock Lee of Team Guy challenges Sasuke to a battle. We are also introduced to Team Asuma: Akimichi Choji, Nara Shikamaru and Yamanaka Ino. We are also introduced to other teams such as the mysterious Otonin (Sound) teeam, the mysterious Kusanin Grass Ninja team and a team led by Kabuto.

For the first challenge of the Chunin exams, each team must take part in the written test exam and pass, followed by a second exam in the forest of death in which 26 three-member teams must acquire the “Scroll of Heaven” and the “Scroll of Earth”. Whichever team acquires both scrolls wins the exam. With poisonous plants, bad animals and everyone vying for the scrolls, if any member is injured or dead, the team is disqualified. Also, each team is forbidden to look at the contents of the scrolls.

How will Naruto and team fare?

Entertaining, fun and possibly one of the best manga series to appear on “Shonen Jump” since “Dragon Ball Z”.

As a long time reader of the Japanese Shonen Jump magazine and long time anime viewer/reviewer, the “Naruto” series was a bit of surprise when I first had the opportunity to read and watch the series. Mainly because of how entertaining and how well-written the series was but also how mangaka Masashi Kishimoto built upon its characters by character development, making you care of what is happening with the protagonist Naruto, his teammates and also becoming captivated by the world around him.

Naruto is the classic underdog. The boy that everyone seems to hate, the boy who just wants to fit in, the boy who wants to have friends and in some ways, many of us have a little of “Naruto” within us and having those emotions of dreaming big, even though you feel that everyone doesn’t expect much from you. Insecurities, sadness, being a practical joker, for me, I can identify with Naruto and feel his pain.

But what made me enjoy this series is seeing him persevere, working hard to prove that he is a capable ninja and most of all, his way of thinking helps to inspire those that come across him.

He may be goofy, he may seem lazy at times and also always hungry but he is also dependable and a teammate who will fight to protect you, a ninja who knows that he has a cursed beast inside him, that everyone fears and he lives with that pain.

This second volume is actually a very important volume in the whole “Naruto” world. For one, we get to see what happens when the nine-tailed fox tries to consume Naruto during the heat of battle, we also get to see how Naruto has this inability to change people for the positive, to inspire people he comes across.

But I suppose the true significance of this second omnibus volume is the introduction to the other teams of the Leaf Village and our introduction to Gaara and the sand ninja and also Kabuto. And this is a very action-packed volume because of the Chunin exams and various teams are fighting for their lives.

We are introduced to Rock Lee, a person who was not born with ninja abilities but pushes himself so hard to have his own abilities but also seeing how he has a slight attraction towards Sakura. And for Team Kakashi, we know Naruto and Sasuke’s power, but this time around, we get to see Sakura in battle as she fights to protect her teammates who have been taken down. Will she survive?

For anyone getting into “Naruto”, this 3-in-1 omnibus is fantastic! For the price of less than two manga volumes, you are getting a total of three. And if you have only watched the anime series, “Naruto” fans may want to check out the manga series because there are a few scenes that didn’t appear on the anime series.

And also, throughout each volume, you get to read notes and even see sketches from series creator Masashi Kishimoto of how he originally drew Naruto (he had goggles) and also other early character designs for other characters and also thoughts that Kishimoto had at the time, for example, how he drew Sakura and how he’s not that good at drawing female characters and why her character appealed to him. Also, how he came up with certain names for the characters and how he feels about the names today.

Overall, if you have wanted to read the “Naruto” manga series from the very beginning, like the first volume, volume 2 is just as entertaining, action-packed and an important volume in the overall storyline. “Naruto 3-in-1 Omnibus” vol. 2 is highly recommended!

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