When one talks about impactful Japanese exports in the realm of entertainment, it goes without saying that anime will be at the very top of the list, and for good reason. After all, there are multiple anime series that have been an integral part of many a childhood, and one such series that has — and still is — capturing fans all over the world is Naruto. The success of this particular series can't be put into words, and such is the popularity of the series that, even after the end of the main series, it's still going strong with a spinoff in the form of Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.
The fanbase of the Naruto franchise is absolutely expansive, and hardcore fans have dissected everything there is to analyze when it comes to this particular series. However, it must be said that there are still a number of things that people get wrong when it comes to the franchise. Truth be told, most of these misconceptions arise because they haven't really been explained well by Masashi Kishimoto — the creator of the Naruto universe — but it still doesn't excuse the sheer number of people who consider themselves to be hardcore Naruto fans, yet don't have the faintest inkling when it comes to some of the basic elements of this series. To put this into perspective, here are 25 things that everyone gets wrong in Naruto.
25 Sarutobi Is Not Really Having A Great Time In The Afterlife
The battle between The Third Hokage and Orochimaru is truly one of the early highlights of Naruto that showcases the power of two of the most powerful ninjas present at that time. The battle certainly sets the tone when it comes to the many epic battles that would follow in the world of Naruto, and ends on a bittersweet note when Sarutobi manages to thwart Orochimaru's plan... but at the cost of his own life.
The worst part about this is that Sarutobi's soul isn't even enjoying a deserved rest in the afterlife. The technique that he used to defeat Orochimaru was the Reaper Death Seal, which takes the soul of both the victim and the user and locks them in an unending battle even after their death. So, while his face at death might seem peaceful, Sarutobi will never be able to rest in the afterlife.
24 There's A Limit To How Many Shadow Clones Can Actually Be Formed
It has been stated time and time again in the series that Naruto has one of the biggest pools of chakra ever seen. This is one of the reasons why he was able to master the Shadow Clone Technique with ease. However, the one thing that everyone seems to forget is that while Naruto does have a large amount of chakra, it's definitely not limitless by any means.
This implies that there is a certain limit of clones that anyone can form, and Naruto is no exception to this rule. While the series is pretty lenient when it comes to showing just how many clones can be formed by Naruto, the fact of the matter is that after a while, the clones that Naruto will form will become largely ineffective after a while.
23 The Senju Clan Is Absent From The Main Series Because They Were Disbanded
While the Uchiha clan — although largely absent, save for some — certainly played a major role in the events of Naruto, one of the clans that were noticeably absent has to be the Senju clan. This is quite odd, especially since both clans were locked in what seemed like endless conflict during the First Shinobi World War. The fact that the Uchiha clan survived till now, even after losing the war, is quite suspect.
However, keep in mind that Hashirama Senju was an intelligent individual, who wanted to avoid conflict entirely. Therefore, it makes perfect sense if he decided to disband the Senju clan entirely so that no other conflicts would arise later on. It's a smart move that also serves as a valid explanation for the absence of the Senju clan.
22 Madara Resumed The Hostilities Because He Developed Feelings For Uzumaki Mito
If Hashirama was the embodiment of clear thinking, then Madara was anything but.
In an ideal world, Hashirama and Madara might've been the best of friends. However, the time and place of their birth dictated their fate, and both were locked into endless conflict. While they eventually reached a stalemate, Madara still couldn't accept how the village was being run and returned with the Nine-Tailed Fox to take over Konoha. The ensuing conflict between him and Hashirama led to his death and the creation of the Valley Of The End.
However, one theory that might shed some light as to why Madara needlessly resumed hostilities on his own was because he'd developed feelings for Uzumaki Mito, who was married to Hashirama at that time. Unable to watch his love stay with his best friend, the flames of jealousy spurred Madara into trying to take over the leadership of the village itself.
21 Females Agreed To Become Jinchūriki Because They Chose To Abstain From Having Kids
Since we're talking about Uzumaki Mito, it's time to bring up the topics of female jinchūriki and why they exist.
The birth of Naruto showed us exactly why having female jinchūriki was such a bad idea. If the seal would become so weak during childbirth, then any assailant would take this time to extract the Tailed Beast for their own selfish desires. So, the very act of having female jinchūriki might seem quite stupid.
However, this would certainly make sense if it turned out that these women swore a vow of celibacy before these beasts were sealed in them. Doing so would ensure that childbirth wouldn't serve as a deterrent to sealing the Tailed Beasts into these candidates.
Now, let's talk about a jinchūriki who serves as the focal point of the story.
20 Naruto Was Treated Horribly As A Child Because The Leaf Village Wanted To Manipulate Him
The childhood of Naruto is not really anything to write home about. Ostracized as a child due to the Tailed Beast that was sealed inside of him, Naruto experienced a sensation of crushing loneliness that nobody would want to feel. Being shunned by the village compelled Naruto to train as hard as possible so that he could gain the approval of the residents of Konoha.
However, what if the village was specifically told by the higher authorities to ignore their jinchūriki? This would make it easy for Konoha to bend Naruto to their will, and ensure that he wouldn't become a loose cannon and unleash the beast on Konoha. If that's the case, then their plan certainly worked out... which certainly can't be said another plan that was initiated by Konoha.
19 Itachi's Plan Was Completely Flawed From The Get-Go
Talk about a horrible plan indeed.
During the relative heyday of the Uchiha clan, there were talks of a revolt in the clan due to what they thought was unfair treatment from the higher-ups at Konoha. To quell this uprising and keep the village satiated at the same time, Itachi was instructed to end each and every member of the Konoha clan, without fail.
Itachi completed this request but decided to leave Sasuke alone, in the hope that he would be able to break the Curse Of Hatred by ending Itachi and become the new protector of Konoha. This couldn't have been further away from the truth, since Sasuke developed a bitter hatred for Konoha and swore to destroy the village he was born in.
18 Yamato Wasn't With Naruto From The Very Start Because He Was Getting Over His Childhood Trauma
Yamato is one of the most interesting characters in Naruto, and is the only person alive who has the power of Wood Release. He also had the power to quell any Tailed Beast chakra that goes out of control, which would explain why he was assigned the task of controlling Naruto during their search for Sasuke. However, if that is the case, then why is it that he wasn't accompanying Naruto from the get-go?
One of the plausible reasons might be because of the trauma Yamato experienced as a kid. Being one of Orochimaru's successful experiments, the majority of Yamato's childhood involved him watching other kids his age die a painful death. This would scar any child for life, so it would make sense if Yamato was in the middle of therapy during the first half of Naruto.
17 Tsunade Doesn't Like Men And Had A Relationship With Shizune
Tsunade is one of the most intriguing characters in the series, and her election as Hokage was a wise decision indeed. When we are first introduced to her character, it is revealed that there were a bunch of men in her lives who died, through no fault of her own. However, this didn't stop Tsunade from blaming herself for their deaths, and she decided to shy away from the thought of being close to any man in her life.
This leads to the suspiciously close relationship Tsunade had with her assistant. It certainly wouldn't be a stretch to say that Tsunade and Shizune were in an intimate relationship, since Tsunade didn't want to enter a relationship with a man. This would explain why Tsunade decided to reject Jiraiya's advances, who was clearly interested in her.
Speaking of Jiraiya...
16 Jiraiya Was Not The Weakest Of All The Sannin
Jiraiya, Tsunade, and Orochimaru were known as the Sannin — a group of legendary ninja that carved a long-lasting legacy under their mentor, who just so happened to be the Third Hokage himself. However, in the series, it had been stated time and time again that Jiraiya was the weakest of the three Sannin, which makes no sense when one happens to take a closer look at the various event of the series.
Let's take a direct comparison — Itachi was able to completely outclass Orochimaru, and he even cut his arm off with ease. However, according to Itachi himself, both him and Kisame's powers combined could only hope for a draw with Jiraiya and nothing more. This clearly indicates that Jiraiya is way more powerful that one might think.
15 The Akatsuki Rings Were Inconsequential In The Grand Scheme Of Things
The Akatsuki served as the antagonists for the majority of Naruto: Shippuden, and for the most part, they ended up being a great fit for this hefty role. However, it was pretty evident that Kishimoto reduced their relevance over time, ignoring key plot points that surrounded this group.
Take the example of the Akatsuki rings — they held a lot of relevance early on in Part 2. In fact, Deidara went back to retrieve his ring after losing it during the battle with Sasuke. Obito (who was Tobi at that time) also went back to retrieve Sasori's ring after his death. This conveyed to the viewer that the Akatsuki rings held some significance, but they were simply forgotten in the grand scheme of things.
Speaking of this organization...
14 Obito Would've Been Completely Fine Without The Akatsuki
We've already talked about how imposing the Akatsuki were, but at the end of the day, the organization was nothing more than a bunch of criminals. This added a sense of unpredictability to their actions, which would've obviously proven to be rather problematic when it came to carrying out Obito's grand plan.
However, one look at Obito's absolute power revealed that he was at another level entirely, when compared to the other members of the group. If that is the case, then Obito could've carried out his plan on his own, without having to resort to enlisting the services of a group of people who simply couldn't be controlled. Sure, it would've taken longer, but the probability of the plan succeeding would've been way higher.
13 The Byakugan Can Be Stolen With Ease
The Hyūga clan is one of the most prominent clans in Naruto, but for some reason, it chooses to follow a dated hierarchial progression that places greater importance on certain individuals over others, based solely on their birthright. This essentially means that people are placed into two groups — the main family and the branch family. The latter has a curse mark placed on them so that their Byakugan can't be stolen after death.
But if the Byakugan was so important, then this restriction should be placed on the main branch as well! After all, Ao from Kirigakure is shown to have the Byakugan, despite not being a member of the Hyūga clan. This shows the clear flaw when it comes to the Curse Mark, and also proves that even the Byakugan can be stolen.
And since we're already on the topic of eye techniques...
12 Nagato Experimented In A Secret Lab To Get The Rinnegan For His Bodies Of Pain
The Rinnegan has been touted to be one of the rarest and most powerful eye techniques of all time. However, if that happens to be the case, then it's quite amazing that Nagato managed to supply all the bodies of Pain he'd made with the Rinnegan. Just how did he manage to accomplish such a feat, especially since the Rinnegan was supposedly such a rare technique?
One convincing theory that has been put out is that, similar to Orochimaru's dubious activities, Nagato also had a secret lab where he experimented on the bodies of Pain, and implanted them with the Rinnegan. It's certainly a very creepy thing to do, but not many explanations exist that make more sense than this.
11 The Chūnin Exams Is An Incredibly Stupid Concept
Let's get one thing out of the way — the Chūnin Exam arc is definitely one of the best arcs in Naruto, if not the history of anime itself. However, this doesn't excuse the fact that the very concept of the Chūnin Exams itself is extremely flawed. If you're wondering why this is the case, let us provide you with a more detailed explanation.
The Chūnin Exam essentially pits a bunch of children against each other and forces them to go through a bunch of activities that are extremely dangerous, and definitely not something that should be faced by a bunch of kids. If that wasn't bad enough, there's also the last segment of the exam, where children fight each other by deploying the entire extent of their arsenal, for the sole purpose of entertaining adults.
But is that even surprising? After all...
10 Adults Are Not Responsible At All
If the kids are constantly put in danger the entire time, then the only ones who can be blamed are the adults. In fact, the entire structure itself needs to be criticized. Kids who have little to no experience when it comes to the real world have to deal with life-threatening missions, for the sole purpose of earning money. One won't be faulted to think that there are better ways to earn money, other than risking their lives.
Why does such a messed-up system even exist? Even in Naruto: Shippuden, most of the people who go on these life-threatening missions are still teenagers, which is not an age where you can freely risk your life and try to fight individuals who are literally a threat to the entire world!
Oh, and speaking of irresponsible adults...
9 The Anbu Are Completely Useless
The Anbu are supposed to be highly skilled covert operatives that are meant to carry out the direct orders of their respective Kage. This obviously implies that the skillset of these people are supposed to be at a whole another level, and it's stated in the series that these operatives are more powerful than Jōnin. However, if you've seen the series, then you know firsthand just how inept these people are.
Throughout the series, the Anbu function as nothing more than faceless fodder that fall at the first sign of trouble. In fact, an entire Anbu squad was completely wiped out by Kabuto with ease when they were supposed to guard Sasuke. The fact that Kakashi used to be one of the Anbu is incredibly hard to believe, especially when one looks at just how inept these people are.
8 Summoning Basically Means That Sentient Creatures Are Forced To Follow The Will Of Their Masters
Summoning is a pretty cool technique in Naruto, without a shadow of a doubt. The sight of powerful ninjas summoning behemoths to aid them in their battles is obviously quite amazing, and one might be forgiven for not looking at the big picture and realizing just how messed up the concept of summoning is, to begin with.
Look at it from this perspective — these creatures are sentient beings who have their own lives as well. To be wrenched away from that at a moment's notice to essentially serve the bidding of their masters is nothing short of humiliating. It's quite surprising that there's no storyline that documents how these summoned beings revolt against their masters, if things go the way they're going without any changes whatsoever.
Speaking of summons...
7 Might Guy Actually Had Some Talent When It Comes To Molding Chakra
Might Guy and Rock Lee are two major characters in the series that are shown to have absolutely zero abilities when it comes to molding chakra. While this is definitely true in the case of Rock Lee, who never uses any other technique other than his advanced level of taijutsu, the same certainly can't be said for his mentor.
We say this because, during the events of the series, we witness Might Guy summoning a turtle by the name of Ningame. However, it has been stated beforehand that a person needs to mold their chakra properly to be able to summon a creature in the first place. If that's the case, then it's possible that Might Guy actually has some chakra-molding ability that he's never tapped into.
6 Sakura Never Really Had Any Potential When It Came To Genjutsu
Early on in the series, it's clearly stated that Sakura had a lot of talent when it came to genjutsu. This would've proven to be quite useful in the long run for her character, since her abilities with genjutsu could've been quite a fearful thing indeed. However, in the long run, this potential doesn't really materialize into something worthwhile, and is simply forgotten.
Instead, Sakura simply develops her medical ninjutsu and taijutsu, under Tsunade's tutorship. While certainly quite useful in the starting moments of Naruto: Shippuden, Sakura becomes an afterthought later on, which is a quite a shame indeed. This might've not been the case if she actually had any potential for powerful genjutsu.