Yep, not a new story. Just me reviewing stories I've read. Whether old or new, these are just my thoughts on them. I don't plan on this being long just how I feel about them and for everyone else to give their thoughts about the stories if you have read them or haven't read them. Like a discussion board but it is just me giving my thoughts freely with others to do the same. Whether you argue with each other or not is up to you and I don't care enough to respond to all of them.
Light and Shadow by Garrek
(Naruto x Young Justice)
Alright, so I don't know who does or doesn't know this story. It has over 5k+ followers and those who have added it to their favorite stories. It also has 1,682 reviews at this current time. At first, it seemed the author was back to continue the story back in 2021 but there hasn't been another update since the last one. I know the feeling since it is hard to write stories with your life being in the way a lot Besides that, let me get to some points both I found for myself and those noticed by others who have reviewed the story.
1) Okay, so to start things off, this story features Naruto being chosen as the new green lantern of his sector. That was the main reason that pulled me and all of you into the story. Not just a regular "Naruto gets sent to the YJ universe of DC but he is already a part of the universe and discovers the galaxy at large. It starts with tragedy when we learn that Sasuke killed Sakura and Naruto killed Sasuke in retaliation.
My first problem with this whole thing is that Naruto is STILL hung up on Sakura as a girl he "loved". Despite how Kishimoto wrote it, Naruto stopped loving Sakura like that a long time ago if you think about it. He still loves hers as his precious friend and maybe I would say a sister, especially after he finally hears and sees Hinata confess to him, and her love shown to him when she fought Pein. Naruto should have none the love between him and Sakura wouldn't happen, especially when she lied to him at the Land of Iron. I just don't think anyone, no matter who you are, should still be in love with a woman who regularly abuses you (not the biggest issue between them since for the most part that is comedic relief in the series) and shows that she is STILL IN LOVE with the psycho that left the village. The fact that the two get married in Canon is proof enough that Naruto shouldn't still be in love with her after the Pein arc.
I won't even get into the fact he made Naruto let Hinata down and had Kiba get with her. I like Kiba but I just don't see those two being together EVER. Kiba in my opinion would do with a civilian girl or even someone from one of the other villages. I only see Hinata getting with Naruto and if not him then maybe Shino but those two are more brother and sister vibes.
2) After Naruto gets his ring and becomes a lantern, my second problem comes during his training. Garrek used the Emerald Knights' story of when Kilowog became a lantern to do Naruto's training/initiation into the Corps. That isn't much of an issue until you realize that he did the same thing word for word besides changing a few bits to fit Naruto being there instead of Kilowog. I don't mind this too much since I'm happy they are using both Emerald Knights and the GL Animated series to help bolster the story since Naruto is a Green Lantern. I just don't like when people copy something word for word. Could have done different planets and changed the voice lines instead of copying it exactly. This isn't much of a problem if the average person hasn't watched Emerald Knights, but if you are a DC fan like most of you are then I am positive you have seen Emerald Knights and would notice.
Another issue is when things get inconsistent with Naruto wanting to hide his abilities. I don't know why he wants to hide his powers/skills with chakra from everyone but later in the story when he finally gets with the team he starts to tell them more about Chakra and even goes as far as to try and see if anyone on the team has chakra as well that he can awaken since those on Earth are not the same type of human/humanoids like those on Naruto's planet (which is called Ajnin). I can understand in some situations in other stories why Naruto wants to hide his abilities, but why do it when he joins the Green Lanterns? Sure, the Guardian council is a bunch of stuffy old heads besides Ganthet and Sayd but if you wanted Naruto to hide his abilities then he shouldn't openly use them willy-nilly. Now when he does use them to save a planet from an invasion then that is fine. Naruto gonna do what he does best. I just think it is silly to want Naruto to not share knowledge of his powers and then when he is on earth, he tries to awaken Chakra in others later.
3) The pairing is a strange one, not completely tho. I like the idea of Dinah aka Black Canary being with Naruto and this being a single pairing. But to be honest the situation between her and Ollie happens pretty late-ish into the story that, by the time she gets over that there won't be much time to develop something between them once all the other problems in YJ start happening. Let alone the problems from Naruto's past coming back up in the future (that we don't see much of, just hear about it with Orochimaru terrorizing a planet but we don't see it happen). I mean I doubt it would be a long wait for Black Canary and Naruto to end up together once she figures out her feelings about what happened with Green Arrow in the story, but you can see the issue with others wondering when the romance aspect is going to happen. Especially since in the story, they don't interact a lot with each other. Merely in passing when they are both in the Cave training the team or end up sparring together.
There are better pairings that could have happened a lot sooner in this story. Mainly with FOUR OTHER LANTERNS! While two of them are in frontier space, so it would be difficult to have the relationship keep going and start, the other two are Green Lanterns that he sees on Oa a lot. The first two are Queen Iolande who he saved from dying of blood loss from the wound that her stupid brother gave her when he invaded the planet. The second, which would be a lot harder considering what happens, is Yrra Cynril aka Fatality. She was with the Sinestro Corps when they attacked Iolande's home but Naruto stopped her and asked the Star Sapphires to give her some rehabilitation to help with the pain she feels against surviving her home planet's destruction. Again because of those circumstances, I can see why it would be difficult to have either of those two paired up with Naruto since the story wouldn't take place within that part of space often.
The two lanterns that could and should have been paired with Naruto in this story are Laira Omoto and Tomy-Fai. Both green lantern women he has been around for most of his beginning time as one of them. Laira because she has been helping Kilowog train him to use his ring and expand his imagination with his constructs and Tomy-Fai because he SAVED HER FROM BEING RAPED BY SINESTRO'S PEOPLE (something Sinestro himself hated that they would even think of doing something like that and make his corp look unrefined and weak)! She's been missing for 6 months and when he finds her, with the help of Razer from the GL animated series as a blue lantern now, he stops them from violating her in the worse way ever. There is even mention that during her recovery, Naruto was there checking up on her the whole time. So, why out of all pairings is this not set up with Tomy-Fai or Laira? I can understand not doing Laira and they keep it strictly as a friend and Teacher-Student relationship, but Tomy-Fai and he would have been perfect since she would want to work with him more often and seek him out whenever she perhaps relapses from PTSD (if she had it) from her time being captured for so long. But no, we get a pairing that doesn't even show itself in the recent chapters much at all. Like sure they interact a little more but not enough to warrant anyone thinking they could be together.
4) I don't have any other major gripes against this story. There are a few minor ones like when he ran into Black Manta, but they didn't arrest him because he "Hadn't committed a crime" that day they met. That shouldn't stop either Wonder Woman, since he was with her during that time, or Naruto from taking him in for the VARIOUS OTHER CRIMES he committed against both the surface and below the sea against Aquaman. Then there's when Naruto wants to help his people make their first steps into the Galactic Community. He goes to Batman, who he verbally lashed out at when he began to ask Naruto about his abilities. Naruto denies giving any information at the time after he reveals a lot of information he finds out about Batman. Like finding out he is Bruce Wayne and when Batman had helped the team stop Vandal Savage from using Batman's plans to try and kill/neutralize the JL main team. So, you would think after such a confrontation that Naruto wouldn't want to run into Batman or give him any details or information. So, why does he go to Batman about getting blueprints for a beginning ship for his people to use? ESPECIALLY, when Naruto is the Green Lantern of his sector. Are you telling me he couldn't have gone to any of the planets he has interacted with in 3 years (since the story starts 3 years before the beginning of Young Justice) time to make a treaty with his people and theirs to start up their galactic economy and help them make their footnote in history? That doesn't make much sense.
5) To go back to one of my last points about Naruto and his chakra, why would you want Naruto to try and create Chakra networks in other people on Earth? If he wants the team to have an edge, he should continue training them to improve their bodies and natural abilities. It also takes away the uniqueness of Naruto and his People on the planet by giving a random group of people Chakra.
My final thoughts are this. The story is good and has its flaws, but overall, it is a good read. Sure, some parts need work and make me want to slap Naruto (especially when he was fighting that Viking Warrior that wanted to die in Battle, but Naruto wants to refuse to do so even AFTER HE JUST HEARD THE STORY OF HOW HE WAS BLESSED/CURSED TO NOT BE HARMED BY SEVERAL ELEMENTS OF MAN AND COULDN'T DIE TO BE REUNITED WITH THE VALKRYE WOMAN HE FELL IN LOVE WITH). I can confidently say that yes, you should give the story a read. Even if it may never get updated again. Maybe you'll get inspired and take your spin at a Green Lantern Naruto story. Definitely could use more of them.
Anyways, that's all I got on that story. I may do more of these in my free time, but it would have to be stories I am familiar with. Feel free to leave your thoughts on the story in the reviews or PM about it. Currently trying to finish up chapter 2 for Tails and Fangs. Not a promise that it'll be out soon. I still, have schoolwork I need to finish and focus on.
Jangoman, SIGNING OUT!