I hate how SP completely missed the point of Mitsuki Gaiden, just like they did with Sarada Gaiden. The whole point of the plot twist at the end was to show Orochimaru *did* care & recognised Mitsuki as his own person. Not a “test subject”. SP have completely retconned that, why?

A THREAS of how Sasuke & Orochimaru are both butchered similarity by SP because they can’t recognise subtle writing or “misdirection”:

Sarada Gaiden: the readers were under the illusion all throughout Gaiden that Sasuke was callous and didn’t care.

It’s all to built up to the big “twist” at the end when it’s revealed that he DOES care. He was written coldy to *misdirect* the readers & for the readers to feel how Sarada was feeling about Sasuke as we followed her on her emotional journey.

She was under the *MISUNDERSTANDING* that he didn’t care. Therefore the readers also were purposefully made to feel the same. By the end, we understand this wasn’t the true reality. He DID care. That was what the entire story was building up to reveal. How did SP interpret this?

SP took that as being Sasuke’s actual character. That he was cold and distant & would continue writing him that way, completely !! missing !!! THE POINT!!!! Of why!! Kishi told Gaiden the way he did!!!! And ruining the emotional impact of Gaiden, the message & Sasuke’s character.

I see SasuSaku fans misunderstand Orochimaru’s character the way antis misunderstand Sasuke, and it’s sad. Can’t y’all see SP have done the exact same thing to him? Let me explain:

Mitsuki Gaiden: we follow Mitsuki on his emotional journey, being led along as readers to feel the same way he is feeling. We are confused, & are suspicious of Orochimaru, because that is how Mitsuki is feeling.

...Just like how we were made to feel similarly with Sarada.

Orochimaru is written as untrustworthy & someone to fear. Mitsuki, therefore the reader, is led to *falsely* believe Orochimaru sees Mitsuki as simply something to control and use.

...like how the readers were made to feel uncertain with Sasuke...

This all leads up the ending. After Mitsuki leaves, Kishimoto makes a point of going back to show the readers Orochimaru having a dialogue with Log.

His demeanour is very different now, that he has dropped the act that was admittedly put on to fool Mitsuki.

All the talk that was used to confuse Mitsuki with Log saying Orochimaru’s “children“ not being human, & being nothing more than Orochimaru’s perfect subjects: it was literally all part of the act. Misdirection. Not supposed to be taken as how Log or Orochimaru genuinely feels!

It was all part of that story telling of misdirecting the character & the audience Kishi loves so well. But flash forward to post-reveal, when the readers are supposed to see things for how they REALLY are, we are only NOW seeing Oro’s TRUE character.
Like with Ssk end of Gaiden

And how is Oro’s true character shown when we are supposed to take him for who he really is, not under any guise of being misled?

He is shown with Log, & having a meaningful talk, including about Oro’s fears & feelings. Oro even genuinely smiles. There is very much the feeling of it being conversation between father & son. Their relationship is NOT how we were originally made to believe.

Orochimaru is also not who we were originally made to believe. He voices his *true feelings* towards Mitsuki & Log now.

“You two ARE - this being emphasised - my children after all”.

He sees them very much as his children, not just like test subjects which was what the audience was made to believe when we were being misdirected along with Mitsuki.

The entire POINT of the series of events of Mituski Gaiden was Oro & Log making Mitsuki dons his own freedom & independence BECAUSE ORO SAW HIM AS A HUMAN BEING, AS HIS CHILD, AND WANTED HIM TO BE INDEPENDENT, NOT JUST LIVING LIFE AS A TEST SUBJECT

But SP - missed it. Again.
Ruined the emotional impact. Again.
Ruined the message. Again.
Took the character written as they initially were in a way to only mislead the readers to a false conclusion, but continued writing that as their actual character & ruining them. Again.

Because just like with Sarada Gaiden, they can’t understand any sort of storytelling past surface level bs. SP always does this. And it’s resulted in a complete butchering of so many characters. Including Sasuke.

And Orochimaru.

TO CONCLUDE:

Even if I don’t expect you to *like* the character, if you’re a sasusaku stan and are annoyed at how SP have butchered Sasuke and created people to misunderstand him but can’t see they’ve done the same thing to Orochimaru...I don’t f*ck with you tbh lol

And to the people saying “you don’t get it” “it’s not a retcon, he just didn’t wanna admit he cared”....

Y’all are the ones missing MY point. Completely. But this thread is already hella long. If you don’t get what I’m saying by now, idk what else to say to you