Naruto was pretty much abandoned throughout his youth. It wasn't until Iruka befriended him in the first issue that he finally learned what it meant to have a family. This family would soon grow when he was introduced to the other members of his Genin team; Sakura Haruno and Sasuke Uchiha. Naruto became a rival to Sasuke, which formed an almost brother-like bond between the two. It didn't take long for Naruto to develop a crush on Sakura, which only intensified his rivalry with Sasuke, as it was obvious that she had feelings for him instead.

The story of the dynamic between the members of Team 7 became the central focus of Naruto. When Sasuke defected, it became Naruto and Sakura's goal to bring him back, which took the remainder of the story to do. Sasuke pretty much took over the story of Naruto at certain points, which made fans wonder who the real protagonist was?

We are here today to learn about the shared history of the two most important Naruto characters outside of Naruto himself. From Sasuke's censored gay scene, to the truth behind who the most capable member of Team 7 is.

Here are 20 Shocking Things You Didn’t Know About Sakura And Sasuke From Naruto!

20 A Comedic Turn

Rock Lee was one of the best characters during the first part of Naruto. He was then dumped after the time skip and never had any more relevance to the story. Might Guy had far more influence on the story than Lee did, which proves that he really did have the power of youth on his side.

Rock Lee found glory as the protagonist of a comedy series called Rock Lee's Springtime of Youth, which was created by Kenji Taira, who was one of Kishimoto's former assistants.

Kenji Taira also created a similar series starring Sasuke, called Sasuke Uchiha's Sharingan Legend. This was a comedy series that focused on the members of Taka, which showed their usually dour adventures in a more humorous light.

19 Sakura Vs. The Jinchuriki

It's not unusual for a manga series to receive spinoff novels that are written by people who weren't associated with the comic. Series like One Piece and Pokémon have received light novels, which were illustrated by artists associated with the main franchise.

Naruto received a whole slew of light novels that covered the events that happened after the series had ended. One of these was Sakura Hiden: Thoughts of Love, Riding Upon a Spring Breeze, which followed Sakura's life during the period of time when Sasuke wandered the land after being released from prison.

Sakura unveiled a plot to create a medication made from Naruto's DNA which would allow the user to manifest a chakra cloak, similar to those used by a Jinchuriki. A villain known as Kido successfully manages to develop this substance, which he uses in battle against Sakura.

18 Never Meant To Be

The Internet was a dangerous place to be when the final issue of Naruto was released. The shipping wars that had been taking place among various parts of the fandom finally came to a head, with many people criticizing Masashi Kishimoto for establishing romantic relationships within the canon of the story. People had been spending over a decade pushing for certain couples to appear in the story of Naruto and their dreams had been crushed.

When Naruto finally ended, Masashi Kishimoto was free to give his thoughts on the issue. He had never intended for Sakura to end up with Naruto. Indeed, she wasn't meant to have been as an important a character as she ended up being. Kishimoto had always planned for Naruto to end up with Hinata.

17 Chewed Out

The question of who the main three members of the Naruto cast ended up with romantically was hotly debated by the fans until the series finished. The series threw up some pretty big hints that Naruto would end up with Hinata and that Sakura would end up with Sasuke, yet many people refused to believe them. The Naruto x Sasuke shippers were probably the most disappointed, especially as those characters had far more romantic chemistry than Sakura x Sasuke.

It seems that Masashi Kishimoto's wife was someone else who couldn't see the writing on the wall, as she too was caught off guard by the ending of Naruto. Kishimoto has confirmed that his wife was furious that Sakura didn't end up with Naruto. It seems that Kishimoto kept the ending of the series a secret, even to his wife.

16 He Doesn't Even Go Here!

The Naruto manga was once very different. The pilot issue of the series used a contemporary setting, with magical ninjas living alongside modern society. Naruto himself was actually the child of the demon fox that attacked his village, with his human form being a reflection of his attempt to fit in.

The second pilot issue (which became the actual first chapter of the manga) concentrated on Naruto's relationship with Iruka. Kakashi was planned to appear in the second issue as Naruto's new teacher, but Kishimoto's editors suggested to him that he should create a rival character for Naruto as well, which would give him someone to compete against. Sasuke's creation was fairly last minute, with the details of Itachi and the Uchiha massacre only being vaguely hinted at within the story, as they were still being developed.

15 Sasuke And The Medicine Makers

The revelation that Itachi was a good guy all along was one of the most polarizing moments in the entire story of Naruto. It's still considered by many to be something totally out of nowhere, as nothing in the text before his death supported the idea that he was secretly nice. Sasuke is also really quick to believe this information, even though it comes from an untrustworthy source.

One of the Naruto novels filled in the gaps and added more reasons for Sasuke to believe that Itachi was actually a good guy. In Naruto Jinraiden: The Day the Wolf Howled, Sasuke seeks out information concerning Itachi. He discovers a family of medicine makers, who were helping Itachi stave off his fatal illness. Sasuke ends up becoming close to this family, which leads him into conflict with the Sendo Clan, who sell substances to former shinobi.

14 He's Baaaack...

The Chunin Exam that takes place in Konoha is quickly derailed due to the revelation that Orochimaru is influencing events during the test. He has placed several agents within the exam so that they can test Sasuke's mettle in battle. Orochimaru also uses the Forest of Death portion of the exam to inflict a Curse Seal on Sasuke, in order to make him dependant on its power.

One of Orochimaru's agents is a Konoha ninja named Yoroi, who has the ability to drain the chakra of others through touching them. Sasuke defeated Yoroi in the manga and he was never seen again.

Thanks to the incredible amount of filler content in Naruto, Yoroi actually returned as a villain. He appeared as the bodyguard of Amachi, who was one of Orochimaru's former scientists. Yoroi was defeated by Shino and is believed to have drowned during their final battle.

13 Brotherly Love

The manga series called 666 Satan (also known as O-Parts Hunter in America) opens up with an unusual disclaimer. This was a comic created by Seishi Kishimoto, who is the brother of Masashi Kishimoto. Seishi opens up 666 Satan by saying that he and his brother grew up in the same household, which means that they share a lot of the same inspirations. He clarified that any similarities to 666 Satan and Naruto were wholly unintentional. This didn't stop people from accusing 666 Satan of being a ripoff, as the reason the series has such a blasphemous name is that the main character carries a powerful demon inside of him.

Masashi Kishimoto has also taken inspiration from his brother, as he used their relationship to form the basis of Sasuke and Itachi. This means that Masashi Kishimoto is the Itachi of his family, which makes way too much sense.

12 He's More Involved Than You Think

Masashi Kishimoto did his best to avoid showing the members of Team 7 (save for Kakashi) committing a killing. The final blow against enemies was usually performed by a different character, which stopped Naruto & Sasuke from getting their hands dirty. There are a few exceptions to this, such as Yura or the samurai that Sasuke killed during the meeting of the five Kage.

The Naruto anime made an unusual change which seemed to be an effort to lessen Sasuke's involvement in the death of Danzo. In the Naruto manga, Sasuke cut off Danzo's right arm with his sword. In the Naruto anime, it is Sasuke's hawk summon, Garuda, who knocked one of Danzo's shurikens back at him, which tore off his right arm.

11 This Seems A Little Eggs-tra

The Mangekyo Sharingan is useful for lots of different things. Possessing the Mangekyo Sharingan allows you to create an unquenchable black flame, it lets you trap someone in an illusion that can destroy their mind, or it can manifest a giant indestructible monster made from energy.

The Mangekyo Sharingan is also useful if you want to cook some really amazing eggs.

Naruto Shippūden: Ultimate Ninja Storm Revolution came with an OVA called Sunny Side Battle! which depicts Itachi trying to cook the perfect sunny side up eggs for Sasuke's breakfast. He uses all forms of the Sharingan to try and get the eggs perfect. This is one of the most bizarre pieces of Naruto media ever created, which is likely why it is so popular with the fans.

10 A Really Weird Pairing

Nickelodeon Magazine is a popular publication meant for kids, which follows all different kinds of news related to cartoons and movies, not just the ones that appear on Nickelodeon.

Nickelodeon Magazine has occasionally run a gag section called Toon Weekly, which is intended to be a parody of the gossip magazines that are popular in America and the UK. This section treats popular cartoon characters as the subjects of the kind of paparazzi hunts that real celebrities have to endure.

One of the Toon Weekly sections featured a romantic picture of Sakura and Bart Simpson. According to the magazine, the two of them started dating after Bart injured himself while skating and Sakura used medical ninjutsu to heal him.

9 So... It's Basically Dragon Ball Now?

The story of Naruto is currently being continued in Boruto, which follows the son of Naruto as he goes on his own journey to become a ninja. Boruto seeks out Sasuke as a teacher, as he would rather follow in his footsteps as a ninja protecting the village from the outside than as a Hokage.

Masashi Kishimoto has since confirmed that the relationship between Boruto and Sasuke is meant to mirror that of Gohan and Piccolo from Dragon Ball Z. The reason Gohan became Piccolo's student was a lot different to the events of Boruto, so we aren't sure if Boruto will have a similar effect on Sasuke's personality. He probably won't, as Boruto's personality is way more obnoxious than Naruto's ever was.

8 A Bizarre Death

Uniqlo is a Japanese clothing company that has managed to acquire cross-promotional deals with some of the biggest anime and video game franchises in the world. Fans of the Monster Hunter series are likely familiar with the Uniqlo brand, as it is possible to unlock their clothes as some of the earliest DLC costumes in the game. There was also a popular line of Uniqlo branded One Piece clothes.

There was a Naruto OVA created in order to promote a new line of Naruto-themed Uniqlo clothes. Naruto x UT is a bizarre short film that shows a killed Naruto, followed by scenes of his and Sasuke's relationship. The OVA ends with Naruto waking up and Sasuke manifesting the Mangekyo Sharingan.

7 Taking Away Her Big Moment

It seemed that Sakura was going to become a lot more relevant after the time skip. She had finally caught up to Naruto and the others due to her training with Tsunade. Sakura gained super strength, along with the ability to heal others through her medical ninjutsu.

Sakura was given one whole arc to be awesome, as she was responsible for taking down Sasori, who was one of the most powerful members of Akatsuki. Her glory didn't last long, as that was about as much attention as she would ever get in the manga.

The creators of the anime managed to take away Sakura's one moment of glory. It was revealed in a filler episode that Itachi's first partner in Akatsuki was a ninja called Juzo Biwa. The two of them battled against Yagura, who was both the Jinchuriki for the Three-Tailed Beast and the Mizukage. Yagura managed to kill Juzo Biwa, which made him the first person to kill a member of Akatsuki.

6 Not The Only Person With An Inner Voice

One of the recurring elements throughout the early stages of Naruto was Inner Sakura. This was a ghostly apparition that showed the reader what Sakura was actually thinking in any given situation. Inner Sakura actually helped her defeat Ino during their fight in the Chunin Exams, as she prevented Sakura from being mind controlled. This element of Sakura's character was phased out after the time skip, which was supposed to represent her growth as a person.

It's possible for the player to see the Inner versions of Kakashi and Sasuke in Naruto: Ultimate Ninja. It's possible to use the Sharingan to copy Sakura's "Fairy Tale Get" move, which will also allow them to manifest their own Inner Kakashi/Sasuke when they use the attack.

5 Celebrating His Big Day Without A Friend

We didn't get to see much of the courtship between Naruto and Hinata in the manga. The story just ended with an epilogue that showed them married with children. The actual romantic stuff was something that was saved for the anime and the movies.

The light novel called Konoha Hiden: The Perfect Day for a Wedding followed the events of Naruto and Hinata's wedding. This book would later be adapted into a story arc in the anime. The funny thing about the wedding is that Sasuke never returned for it. Sakura had to go on her own.

Fans of Naruto x Sasuke know the real reason why Sasuke never attended the wedding. If he had shown up, then he would have recreated the final scene from The Graduate and started banging on the window while shouting Naruto's name.

4 Time To Shine (During A Filler Arc)

The Naruto anime is notoriously filled with filler, to the point where over a third of the series was created solely by the anime staff. This was particularly bad in the period leading up to the time skip, where the series just meandered with no purpose.

The Naruto filler arcs were given a lot more freedom to cover stories than those of other anime series. One example of this was a story arc that showed Sakura's Chunin Exam. We know that she became a Chunin during the time skip, so this story arc filled in the details.

Sakura's Chunin Exam took place in the Hidden Sand village. She teamed up with Ino and Chouji (as many fans had speculated), due to their old team missing a member, as Shikamaru had already been promoted. Sakura helps to unveil and stop an assassination plot against Gaara.

3 It's Supposed To Be Okay To Be Gay

It's not uncommon to see fanservice shots of semi-unclothed women in the pilot issues of comics that appear in Weekly Shonen Jump magazine. This is because the magazine is geared towards teenage boys (though it does have large fanbases in other demographics), so these are basically just an I.O.U. for the possibility of more people being unclothed to come.

Naruto featured a lot of scantily clad women through its run, which appeared mostly uncensored in all iterations of the franchise. The one instance in which an act occurred between two men (assuming you discount the accidental kiss between Naruto and Sasuke at the start of the series) was actually heavily censored.

Konohamaru's gay version of the steamier Jutsu, where he turned into Sasuke and Sai, was only fully shown in the Japanese version of the manga. The image was turned into a silhouette in the English version of the manga and the scene was never included in the anime.

2 A Powerful Inspiration

Masashi Kishimoto has always been open about the series that inspired Naruto. He discussed many of these in the author blurbs that were published in the collected volumes of Naruto. Dragon Ball Z is an obvious one, especially as a mask of Chiaotzu appears at one point in the manga. Fist of the North Star was also a big inspiration, as can be seen with the powers of the Hyuga clan.

Sasuke's design was inspired by Hiei of Yu Yu Hakusho. Hiei has a similar appearance, due to his short and spiky black hair. They also have similar powers, as Hiei is also a master swordsman who can create black flames from his body. Hiei's powers are also linked to a third eye which appears on his head, which has similar abilities to the Sharingan.

1 Who Really Holds The Highest Rank?

In the world of Naruto, all of the ninja villages follow a specific protocol when it comes to promotion. If a Genin wants to become a Chunin, then they have to compete in an exam that pits them against the Genin from other villages. The process for becoming a Jonin simply requires the recommendation of other ninjas or the Kage, though the anime also created a Jonin Exam.

By the end of Naruto, Sakura was actually the highest ranking member of Team 7, as she was promoted to becoming a Jonin after the war. Naruto never took the Chunin Exam and remained a Genin until he became the Hokage... though he was still a Genin. Sasuke gave up his rank when he defected to Orochimaru and never reclaimed it when he returned to Konoha.