Karin holds potential to be an interesting character, but it's not beyond the possibility that she'll just become another Tayuya or Rin. Kishimoto would probably improve the story if he did make her central to Naruto's development though - Naruto could use some new influences.

edit: That KarinNaruto one-shot wasn't half bad. Could probably be a library candidate...? Fits DLP style, anyway.

edit edit: Oh that's case's work. Nevermind. Zzz, his stuff should all be archived by now :9

 

Well, the spoilers at least explain how Kishi's planning to make a 3-person Akatsuki credible - apparently by reviving four of the members (Nagato, Sasori, Kakuzu, Itachi?) from the dead using Edo Tensei. Merges the Orochi/Akatsuki plotlines quite conveniently, I think. Not sure if it will be a good or bad thing.

And Naruto getting a "key" to Kyuubi? I really hope that the manga does not end with Naruto fighting the Juubi without the Kyuubi inside him. Although I could see that happening.

 

I'm very pissed that Edo Tensei is coming back, but I wonder how Kabuto will join with Akatsuki given his stated goal of defeating Naruto - after defeating Sasuke.

 

Lawl, looks like Deidara missed out on the Kabuchimaru Sweepstakes then. I do wonder why Kabuto didn't just go all out and resurrect Jiraiya and/or Minato while he was at it though...maybe that's being 'saved' for later, when he confronts Naruto.

Edit: I'm going to lulz if Asuma gets Edo Tensei'd and forced to fight against Team Ten and/or Kurenai.

 

Well, seeing as how the Edo Tensei is pretty OP, the fact that Orochimaru never used it more is perplexing. I mean, I know it needs a sacrifice and probably an abhorrent amount of chakra, but his unwillingness to use it more is the only thing standing between him and conquering the entire fucking planet.

That said, it might be worth him bringing Itachi back just to see Sasuke have an aneurysm.

 

Isn't Sasuke taking Itachi's eyes? So what would be the point in bringing him back?

 

I'd like to think that Edo Tensei requires some special preparation, and that the animated corpses do not simply exist on forever.

 

Remember the Second died buying time for the Third, Danzo and the rest to escape, yet he had no obvious wounds on him. Its likely Edo Tensei restores them to their 'peak' or something like that.

 

According to the spoiler, Nagato is in his post mass-resurrection state. Apparently.

But seriously, at first I assumed that the user of Edo Tensei needed to have a sample of its target's dna or some shit, but Kabuto shouldn't even know about the existence of Nagato.

The only people who did were Konan, Madara, and Zetsu.

Zetsu leaking this info or something?

 

Wasn't his post mass resurrection state.. I don't know, like a starved man? Skin draped over bones?

 

White hair, is the description that the spoiler gave.

 

... Wow Kishi. Greaaaaaat plot twist..

 

Bringing back Nagato and Itachi? No. Just ... no. They're awesome characters, but bringing them back would ruin that as zombie-puppets would ruin that.

Could Sasori and Kakuzu even be revived with Edo Tensei? Sasori's physical body is long gone, and Kakuzu was a freaky biological monstrosity.

Are those spoilers confirmed? Please say they're not.

 

Oh they're confirmed alright. Or so the spoiler pages all say.

Spoiler

And it looks like Naruto's getting his hands on the key to the seal and is going to meet an octopus and a powerful eye - prophet toad's foretelling.

Edit: Bit late for them, but...Apologies, Jon.

 

Don't forget, Orochimaru met Nagato when him, Jiriaya, and Tsunade were in Rain. I believe Nagato had the Rinnegan at the time. So long as Oro can put 2 and 2 together, he should realize Nagato = Pein.

 

Er...no, Nagato didn't have the Rin'negan at the time - well he did, but they certainly didn't notice.

So Orochimaru couldn't have known about Nagato being Pein, unless he butted heads with Nagato later on (before the mess with Danzo, Hanzo and that People's Army thing Yahiko had going - I think after Yahiko's death Nagato and Konan pretty much faded from knowledge until they resurfaced with Akatsuki).

 

Im gonna say that separately Naruto is a match for any of them. Possibly Sasori and Kakuzu together.

I do wonder though if Nagato can make new paths of pain in this state.

 

The entire internet does not have enough facepalm image memes to appropriately express the degree of my dismay if this is true.

 

Spoiler

http://img6.imageshack.us/img6/7704/img0085pg.jpg

There we go.