Manga Review: Naruto Volume 44 (Shonen Jump)

Konohagakure, the Villiage Hidden in the Leaf, has survived many hardships since the death of the Third Hokage. Struggling with the betrayal of Orochimaru and the loss of Sasuke, the last surviving member of the Uchiha clan, Lady Tsunade, the Fifth Hokage, struggles to rebuild the village.

The Manga series Naruto: Volume 44 picks up two years later, and is currently ahead of the English translated Anime series. Naruto, Sakura, Shikamaru and friends are now living their dreams as full-fledged Shinobi of Konoha. But, all is still not well with the Leaf.

Sasuke has performed the job he set out to do two years ago, and defeated his brother Itachi. Unfortunately, his revenge isn’t enough to heal his mind as he discovers more secrets behind the Uchiha clan and his brother’s plans. Now, Sasuke is set on destroying Konoha, but first he must challenge the Eight-Tailed Beast.

Naruto has faced his share of tragedy throughout his life, but he has always been that obnoxious teenage nuisance that we’ve come to love. After news of a recent tragedy comes back to Konoha, Naruto is forced to grow up, and realize his fated prophecy: to become Hokage. Naruto embarks on an arduous training journey that may threaten his life, while mysterious dreams plague his sleep.

Naruto: Volume 44 is filled with mystery and revelation, as secrets are unearthed about Itachi and the Uchiha clan. The story is light on action, as it serves as more of an aftermath events in the previous manga issues. Still, this book is as entertaining and intriguing as ever. It’s a serious tale, but there are plenty of laughs to be had along the way. Shikamaru is featured to help Lady Tsunade with a puzzle, and we learn an interesting secret about him.

If you’ve been watching the English-translated TV series, you may want to pick up a few of the previous Manga before jumping right into Volume 44. There are several important events in Naruto’s life, leading into this story, worth checking out.

For current readers of the Naruto Shonen Jump Manga, Naruto: Volume 44 is a must read. Volume 44 is a good jumping on point for new readers, however, I would recommend picking up a few of the back issues to get the full story.