People Joke About Sasukes Power Level A Lot But Can We Take A Moment To Appreciate How Hard He Worked?

People joke about Sasuke’s power level a lot but can we take a moment to appreciate how hard he worked? His determination was admirable, if we’re being honest.

He was barely able to make a fireball when he first learned. He wanted to do better, so he stayed out by the lake for a WEEK, burning his lips and cheeks just so he could do better. No one made him do that. He actively chose to do it to improve himself. This was when he was SIX. 

He was out there training every chance he got. He deserved to look smug when he hit the targets. He worked hard to get his aim so precise. This was also when he was SIX.

Both of which were before he was even revenge-driven. He had a natural born determination, helped by his drive to be like Itachi.

Then his clan died and- wouldn’t you know it- he was still busting his chops. He was one of the top students in the Academy even without anyone to badger him on about working. He didn’t even let something as huge as his family’s literal murder slow him down. Not the healthiest coping mechanism, but he used it to get stronger still. He was one of the strongest genin by the time he graduated.

Then when the chuunin exams rolled around what did he do? He trained even harder. At TWELVE he hiked up a cliff to learn how to shoot lighting out of his hands. He stayed up there for an entire month with Kakashi, using every last second to the fullest, based on his almost lateness.

Sasuke worked HARD. So when he saw that Naruto, who was goofing off 90% of the time made a bigger hole on the hospital roof? Yeah, I’m not surprised he was frustrated. Say what you want about his drive to kill Itachi, but he was dedicated if nothing else. That was a huge slap in the face.

So then Orochimaru’s little group of Sound shinobi show up and kick him around like it’s nothing. I can’t imagine how painful it would be- to see so much work going down the drain. 

Does that stop him, though? No. He follows the Sound shinobi- which was logical, but that’s an entirely different topic- and trains with Orochimaru.

He makes the choice to go with Orochimaru. He stays with Orochimaru, training for THREE YEARS. Which, I’d like to point out, wasn’t a walk in the park. Of the few training scenes we see, one of the ‘training exercises’ he participates in consists of him fighting 1,000 shinobi. 

I’m not going to bother putting in any more examples because I believe this is a fair enough list to explain what I mean.

Sasuke was determined and has been working himself to the ground for a long, long, time. I feel this needs appreciated more. 

go mirko, go!

“keep working hard, rumi. you can be a hero, too!”

Will Galahad apologize or express obvious remorse for his previous treatment of a good Mordred? If so, how would he react if Mordred told him not to worry about it because they were used to being treated that way?

He would apologize, and that would hurt him, realizing what Mordred is going through.

my favorite zutara shared trait & why i think they would work so well is because of how much they both value sheer hard work. atla is riddled with characters who have extraordinary power. aang is the avatar and nobody else is his equal, toph and azula are bending prodigies, and sokka and suki don't even have bending as an option so they learn to be extraordinary at their other skills.

both zuko and katara are not extraordinary benders. by the end of the story they are both great, and katara is certainly really talented, but they aren't as spectacular as toph and azula.

zuko practiced like hell to become the bender he was. we see that in the first episode, how intent he is on following forms--how disciplined he must have been to learn both how to use dao swords and yield his flames.

katara works so hard for that waterbending scroll and then practices so much, even in an environment that oppresses her, to become a truly amazing waterbender. she's the backbone of the group, the one who keeps them going, the one with the faith.

really, they're both bonded by this faith they have and that's why they work hard. zuko and katara both have faith in the avatar. they share that love for aang, and he motivates them both.

at the end of the day, zuko and katara can understand each other because they are that alike. they had similar if opposing hopes to find the avatar and change the world, they worked similarly hard to become masters of their element, they back each other up at the final agni kai. they are fire & water, opposite in everything but also equal in that.

zuko and katara don't give up, ever. and i truly believe they would work in any sort of relationship in any scenario. no matter how terrible the odds were (like they were for zuko when he was searching for aang, for katara when she wanted to save the world) they would keep trying. that's why i love them.

It never ceases to amaze me how strong Soren is like…this man can carry a whole teenage dragon and his 200 lb boyfriend like they are nothing

At any point he can just scoop everyone huh

guys this is so funny, I cant handle it