03. Naruto’s Parents
Japanese parents in manga and anime tend to be really good parents or complete monsters, or somewhere in-between. Naruto’s parents fit into the former category. Both died just after Naruto was born, giving their lives to protect their home from the Ninetailed Fox. The situation was a little complicated but basically Naruto’s mother Kushina was the previous host of the Fox and giving birth to Naruto could mean the fox would escape imprisonment. The presence of the evil Tobi also led to this outcome, ultimately forcing Kushina and Naruto’s father Minato, the Fourth Hokage of the Hidden Leaf Village, to sacrifice themselves to save their home but at the cost of Naruto becoming the new host for the fox.
Due to the obstructive leaders of the village, Naruto’s heritage was never revealed and he ended up spending a childhood alone with no idea who his parents were. He eventually met his parents after entering a subconscious battle with Kurama, learning of their past and sacrifice. Minato and Kushina are two of my favourite anime parents, and their heroic but tearjerking deaths are amongst the best moments in the manga.
02. Hinata Hyuga
My favourite character in the entirety of Naruto is Hinata Hyuga. I love this character to pieces. A shy, timid girl lacking in self-confidence but has huge admiration for Naruto, Hinata comes from the prestigious Hyuga clan who are considered the best ninjas in Konoha, so she has a big weight on her shoulders, and she is seen as a liability by her father. With help from her friends including Naruto, Hinata grows over the story to become a fantastic character, willing to stand up for her beliefs and friends. She becomes a strong fighter, inventing her own moves to match those of her cousin Neji. Hinata’s crush on Naruto is her best asset, with most of the characters being aware of it save Naruto. I am a big supporter of Hinata and seeing her work up the courage to confess to Naruto and how she does it is just phenomenal. While Naruto isn’t my favourite anime, Hinata is my favourite anime character by miles, and whenever she comes onscreen, I just smile like an idiot.
01. The Sasuke Retrieval Arc
At the heart and centre of Naruto was the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke. Both coming from similar backgrounds, the two wanted to acknowledge each other as children but couldn’t because they were both stubborn. Years later they ended up on the same team, and became friends and rivals. But Sasuke’s desire for revenge caused a rift between them and an offer from Orochimaru to become stronger so he could kill Itachi led to Sasuke leaving the Hidden Leaf Village. After Sakura failed to stop him, it is Naruto’s turn up to the plate, leading to the best moment of the whole manga. A five-man team consisting of Naruto, Neji, Shikamaru Nara, Choji Akimichi, and Kiba Inuzaka are sent by Lady Tsunade to retrieve Sasuke and eliminate Orochimaru’s associates the Sound Four.
The group pursue Sasuke and the Sound Four, each splitting up to fight a member of the Sound Four. The battles are dramatic, action-packed but also tense and shocking, with most of the team suffering near-fatal injuries, while Naruto pursued Sasuke. Gaara and Rock Lee also arrived to lend a hand, and the arc ended in fantastic style with Naruto confronting Sasuke. The two friends have an epic clash in the Valley of the End, using all of their powers. Sasuke becomes embraces his cursed seal while Naruto draws out the power of the Ninetailed Fox, leading to a last attack using their most powerful attacks. In the end, Sasuke wins and spares Naruto, leaving him behind. The heroes lose. Not just a temporary loss but one that had an impact on their lives and relationships for years to come. How often do you see that in a story?
For the past fifteen years, Naruto has been a rollercoaster of a journey with its ups and down, highs and lows, and never ever questioned why no one in the story actually dresses like a ninja. I mean, come on, what ninja wears a bright orange jumpsuit? Naruto did, and it was worth every minute of it. Believe it!
Have you enjoyed Naruto and what were your highlights? Are you looking forward to the third volume? Sound off in the comments or send us your thoughts on Twitter!
