For the Naruto fans that have adhered strictly to the North American releases of the manga, volume 28 is like a dream come true. Finally, for those who don't jump online to find the latest scans and fan translations, we can see what everyone is talking about when it comes to the post time gap series. So has the wait been worth it?

When last we saw the Naruto gang, Sasuke had almost killed Naruto in one heck of a fight, leading to him joining up with Orochimaru in order to gain more power and get revenge against his brother Itachi. Meanwhile, Sakura decides to train with Tsunade in order to become more powerful and a valuable member of the team, while Jiraiya heads out with Naruto in order to prepare him for the upcoming onslaught by the Akatsuki, an organization dedicated to controlling all the demons, such as the Nine-Tailed Fox that lies sealed within Naruto.

The first fifty pages are a great jumping on point for new readers, but yet a nice nod to the longtime fans that have been around since the very first volume was released. We spend a bit of time getting to see how physically the two years have changed Naruto and Sakura, plus the gang falling back into their same shticks. Naruto is ultimately still a goof and Sakura likes punching him. Instead of feeling like a droll rehash, however, it really does a great job at showing how though they may be older and stronger, at heart they are still the characters we've grown to love.

Naruto 28

The book really starts to pickup the pace, however, after those initial first fifty pages are up. I've always been a fan of Gaara and the other Sand Village ninja, so to see the story change its focus towards them was a pleasant and welcomed surprise. We know the Akatsuki are after Naruto for having a demon sealed inside of him, but the group makes their first move by trying to tackle Gaara, who has the demon Shukaku inside of him.

The battle between Gaara and the newly introduced members of the Akatsuki – Sasori and Deidara – is an excellent fight, filled with not only some awe-inspiring jutsu, but the battle has an emotional maturity to it as well. Gaara has grown a lot since his early "must kill everything" beginnings, as it's really touching to see Gaara fight for an actual cause. Plus, it doesn't hurt that Sasori and Deidara have some very unique powers that work well on the page.

From beginning to end the first volume of the post time gap jump is solid, featuring an interesting story, and some amazing art. In terms of art, the Gaara battle is very detail heavy and filled with a ton of panels that really feel like movement, while the newly aged characters all retain their classic style and yet manage to mix it up and actually feel as if they have aged. Despite the unabashed praise, however, this has been a volume many fans have been waiting on for quite some time, and it just doesn't feel as epic or groundbreaking as it should given everything it represents. Still, it's a great book, and the perfect spot for new readers to jump onto.

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