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One of the most popular characters in the Naruto franchise is, unsurprisingly, the aloof and always-cool Sasuke Uchiha. Fans were drawn to him because of his seemingly unaffected personality, which seemed unphased by nearly everything and anything that could happen around him.
However, as fans progress further through the Naruto series, the facade cracks slightly and shows fans that there is indeed an emotional side to him. While it only appears on rare occasions and usually requires anguish, it is a facet of his personality that is revealed throughout the series.
Here are 5 times in Naruto where Sasuke maintained his aloof, stoic exterior, and five more times where he showed how he felt.
Five Kage Summit reunion with Team 7 and 4 other Naruto moments where Sasuke was stoic
1) First fight with Naruto at Final Valley
Better known to many as the closing canonical moment of the Naruto anime series, Sasuke’s fight with his eponymous rival saw him show almost no emotions. While the facade briefly cracks to allow Sasuke to confirm that he is fighting his best friend, this is done to the effect of him sharing that he needs to win in order to achieve true Uchiha power.
In general, however, Sasuke fights emotionlessly to cut his ties to the Hidden Leaf and his one true friend at this time. It shows just how badly Sasuke wants to get revenge on Itachi, also laying the groundwork for his more aloof personality as seen in Shippuden.
2) Rooftop fight with Naruto
In the build-up to this Final Valley fight, he is also incredibly stoic in the moment, albeit allowing emotions to flash briefly in the aftermath. Nevertheless, he shows no sympathy or regret for his actions whatsoever to Naruto, Sakura, or Kakashi while Team 7 is gathered together on the roof.
In fact, the only reason Sasuke exhibits any emotion in this scene is because he realizes his attack is inferior to his opponent's. Furthermore, Sasuke doesn’t seem distressed over this, but rather angry at himself for not being as powerful as he should be. This likely plays into why he takes the aforementioned fight so seriously: to prove to himself that he is the stronger of the two.
3) Reuniting with Team 7 at the Five Kage Summit
Despite clearly being in emotional pain at his forced reunion with Team 7 at the Five Kage Summit, Sasuke shows no signs of agony or any other hardship. In fact, in order to hide his emotions, he seems to exaggerate how far gone he is, even laughing at Sakura and Kakashi's pleas to return to the Hidden Leaf with them.
The appearance of Naruto in the scene only adds to Sasuke's need to hide behind a stoic facade. From the moment he arrives, Sasuke is all business, only wanting to prove himself stronger yet again. However, as Naruto points out, shinobi can read each other perfectly when exchanging blows, and he can clearly see that Sasuke is in pain.
4) Reuniting with Team 7 at Orochimaru’s hideout
The first reunion of Sasuke with Team 7 in the Shippuden anime series takes a similar route in terms of the character’s stoicism versus what he’s actually feeling. He’s completely indifferent to the appearances of his former teammates, not even questioning Kakashi's whereabouts in light of Yamato's leadership of the team.
However, fans get a glimpse into Sasuke's true mindset when he is transported into the mind of the titular protagonist, meeting the Nine Tails and appearing to be terrified of it. He quickly masks his fear by launching an offensive against the Tailed Beast, reverting to his stoic self as he lectures his former allies on how things have changed.
5) Challenging Naruto to their final fight
Following Team 7’s defeat of Kaguya Otsutsuki, Sasuke is shockingly seen asking Naruto for one final fight to the death between the two of them. What is especially interesting is that he shows no emotions whatsoever throughout the fight, only expressing a desire to kill his former friend and reshape the world with the Tailed Beasts at his command.
Despite the fact that the pain of fighting his best friend is almost openly acknowledged, Sasuke shows no signs of pain or hardship in the process. Even in the aftermath as they talk, he only lets a small part of his true feelings show, emphasizing how his aloof personality is dominant through thick and thin.
Finding out Itachi’s truth and 4 other Naruto moments where Sasuke showed his emotions
1) Itachi's death
Upon Itachi’s death, Sasuke is shown to be absolutely broken and shocked. The resolve he once had to kill his older brother melts away as Itachi once again taps his brother on the forehead before collapsing to his death. His knees shake as he gasps for air, seemingly unable to process what just happened.
It's one of the few times when fans not only witness Sasuke's true emotions, but also when his true thoughts and feelings are incomprehensible even to him. Although he quickly composes himself, there is sadness in his eyes, almost as if to show some regret in killing his brother, who clearly still loved him.
2) Naruto vs. Haku
When Naruto was in grave danger of dying during Team 7’s mission in the Land of Waves arc, fans witnessed Itachi exhibit his true emotions for the first time in the series. He was visibly distressed by his teammate's condition, even taking a massive hit from Haku and Zabuza to ensure the eponymous rival's survival.
Despite his cool demeanor toward Naruto in the aftermath, Sasuke is visibly distressed in the moments leading up to shielding him. It emphasizes the two's closeness from the start of the series, as well as establishing Sasuke as the outwardly aloof character who, in reality, is as emotional as anyone else.
3) Itachi’s massacre of the Uchiha clan
Without a doubt, one of the moments where fans see Sasuke become the most emotional is when he discovers the Uchiha clan massacre. This is partially due to how young Sasuke is, but in all likelihood, Sasuke would have shown a similar reaction regardless of how old he may have been at the time.
Sasuke is particularly upset when he discovers his own parents are dead, as well as when he realizes Itachi is the one who killed them and everyone else. It's probably Sasuke's most emotional moment in the entire series, and ironically, it's what sets him on the path of an aloof and distant personality.
4) Finding out about Itachi's truth
When Obito Uchiha, then known as Tobi, tells Sasuke the truth about Itachi’s massacre of the Uchiha clan, it results in one of the few times in Naruto an adult Sasuke is seen as very emotional. He appears unable to hide his shock at learning this truth, visibly shaken to his core by such revelations.
He eventually becomes quiet as he listens to Obito, but this is by no means a sign of his stoicism upon learning these truths. Instead, it represents Sasuke's emotional reaction to the news, to the point where he'd rather remain silent than express how he truly feels.
5) Aftermath of final fight against Naruto
While it’s an incredibly brief moment that only shows a fraction of his true emotions, Sasuke does show his true feelings when talking with his best friend following their fight. Fans see him, in his own unique way, apologize for everything that’s happened and reflect on the good and bad times he’s had with Naruto.
Although it’s not exactly the emotional outburst fans see Sasuke making in some of the above listed moments, it’s nevertheless a scene where he clearly shows his emotions. For how few and far they are between, this brief moment is certainly a memorable one.
