Shonen Beam

[scanlation by Binktopia]

What a pleasant cover page. Pity our protagonist has never had a taste of this kind of life. Kushina’s hair being in the shape of Kyuubi’s tails is an excellent touch.

Brilliant skill displayed by Minato. In particular, Flying Thunder God is an excellent technique with (apparently) an interesting limitation to it.

Kishimoto has been on a fantastic streak lately, producing some of his best artwork in recent memory. It’s not even just the grand-scale attacks and flashy techniques, either; something as simple as the transition of control over Kyuubi has been shown through the art rather than wasting space with excessive dialogue.

Clear, explanatory art

Hugely powerful scene between Iruka and his parents. In fact, all these scenes involving present-day jounin back when they were young and comparatively helpless carry so much weight. This effect could only have been achieved in the manner that Kishimoto structured the overall story. Extremely well done.

Stunning family moment between Minato, Kushina, and young Naruto. Kushina instantly gains credibility as one of the toughest females in the series, and not just for the lack of competition in that category. Her genuine smile despite obvious pain is impressive and uncharacteristic of most other Naruto females.

Sakura can only dream of being this good of a character

In the same scene, Minato’s sadness is overwhelming. Again, the art shines, most specifically in one small, yet precisely detailed, panel:

Moving

Closing out the chapter, Minato prepares the ultimate sacrifice to resolve the situation. As with seemingly everything else in Naruto lately, the final page is very well-drawn.

Final Flash: Fantastic chapter.