History YMMV / Team8

** The fic itself has a lot of fans, but there are also readers who either outright hate it, or don't think it's [[HypeBacklash as great as hyped]]. Much of this comes from how AlternateCharacterInterpretation is used, particularly when it comes to making some characters more antagonistic than in canon (mostly the Hyuuga clan); as anyone who's read ''Fanfic/HarryPotterAndTheNightmaresOfFuturesPast'' might have observed, the author seems to have a preference for the "Black" end of the spectrum when it comes to villains, to nearly StupidEvil levels. While some of this is apparently justified by the ForWantOfANail, some readers feel these characters strain credibility.

** In this series, the entire Main Branch Hyuuga clan, with the obvious exception of Hinata, are in general much worse than they are in canon. Hiashi's cold exterior is more than a case of [[TheChainsOfCommanding acting as his station dictates]]; he's just an abusive ''dick''. He is abusive beyond just strictness to Hinata, and even his canon PetTheDog moment of begging for Neji's forgiveness after telling him the truth about Hizashi's death is replaced by a KickTheDog moment in which he [[YouHaveFailedMe only cares that Neji has lost]]; the only thing Hiashi is interested in is seeing him punished for "disgracing the clan." Similarly, Hanabi is quite dismissive of Hinata and [[UngratefulBastard completely unappreciative of Hinata helping to rescue her]]. According to the author, the [[ForWantOfANail original divergent event]] that lead to the events of the story also caused the change in the Hyuuga clan, but that cause has not been revealed yet.

* SeinfeldIsUnfunny: Part of the divisive nature of this fanfic comes from its age, being first published around 2006. While it's unlikely it was the [[TropeMaker first one]], it's certainly one of the earliest examples to use [[FandomSpecificPlot certain plot points that have become common in many subsequent fanfics in the Naruto fandom]]. Among the more used and repeated plot points are: A different teacher training Naruto, resulting in his skills developing earlier; the genin teams being different due to someone else requesting Naruto (and leading to a [[FanPreferredCouple Naruto/Hinata]] pairing); and [[spoiler:the presence of a sinister conspiracy inside the Village council]]. While these plot points are treated here with more nuance than in many other fanfics, if you have read similar stories and come to this one expecting something incredibly original, you may be disappointed.

* BetterThanCanon: Given that the fic revisits many of TheStationsOfTheCanon, many fans of the fic naturally had this reaction at various points.
** Naruto's fight with Neji. Naruto seems to be losing for most of the fight, although he defeats Neji by tricking him with a decoy clone and punching him out when he's exhausted. In light of the preaching about destiny and hard work, many fans saw this as a BrokenAesop altogether. In ''Team 8'', Naruto battles with various specialized tactics that he had to work for, [[spoiler:only drawing on the Nine-Tails' chakra for an ostensible final blow]], and the fight in general is less {{Anvilicious}} about hard work and fate, focusing more on [[ItsPersonal the personal stakes involving Hinata]].
** Gaara was already a well-received antagonist, but the integration of [[spoiler:his siblings, particularly Temari, into his redemption]] in this fic was appreciated by fans.

* AcceptableTargets: Except for Hinata, all of the Main Branch Hyuuga are assholes and so a lot of petty misfortune goes to their way.

* FunnyAneurysmMoment: [[spoiler:Kurenai]] makes lots of sarcastic remarks regarding [[spoiler:early retirement and death]]. [[WhamEpisode Chapter 20]] makes most of them [[TearJerker not funny anymore]].

** Hinata UpToEleven compared to canon due to the "nail" shifting her family life from aloof to outright abusive.

** In this series, the entire Main Branch Hyuuga clan are in general much worse than they are in canon. Hiashi's cold exterior is more than a case of [[TheChainsOfCommanding acting as his station dictates]]; he's just an abusive ''dick''. He is abusive beyond just strictness to Hinata, and even his canon PetTheDog moment of begging for Neji's forgiveness after telling him the truth about Hizashi's death is replaced by a KickTheDog moment in which he [[YouHaveFailedMe only cares that Neji has lost]]; the only thing Hiashi is interested in is seeing him punished for "disgracing the clan." Similarly, Hanabi is quite dismissive of Hinata and [[UngratefulBastard completely unappreciative of Hinata helping to rescue her]]. According to the author, the [[ForWantOfANail original divergent event]] that lead to the events of the story also caused the change in the Hyuuga clan, but that cause has not been revealed yet.