User blog comment:Omega natsu2/Chapter 371: Tartarus Arc, Part 2: Song Of The Heavenly Dragon, Predictions./@comment-7418318-20140212085015/@comment-7418318-20140212103034

I can only imagine that Kishimoto got lots of feedback about Naruto getting too dark and serious triggering something like that:

"Too dark and serious... I'll just add two jokes then before going back into the hopelesness full force!"

...and thus my immersion into a dramatic scene went straight out the window. It's even worse than "Lucy's naked Odyssey" was back then...