Some people have claimed this is Epic Fail rather than awesome- but let us remind them of one fact: during his fight with Neji in the finals, Naruto took him out with a single punch- and that's in canon!
After having all his tenketsu points closed by Neji's Jyuken strikes, Naruto blows them open with a technique he learned from sparring with Hinata. The resulting chakra pulse bowls over Hayate and sends Neji airborne.
Neji: That's impossible. Naruto: Just as impossible as fighting against fate. Just as impossible as fighting a Jyuuken user hand to hand.
Naruto puts his money where his mouth is and beats the stuffing out of the Hyuuga prodigy in taijutsu.
Naruto takes out a Missing-Nin who can turn his skin into steel with one punch that goes right through his body, with help from Kyuubi's power. This can also be considered a Curb-Stomp Battle.
Shino, after figuring out that the Kyuubi had been sealed inside his teammate, verbally crucifies his clan's elders for their treatment of and attitude towards Naruto.
Shino: I was able to deduce the existence of Naruto's prisoner through sparring and training with him. When Uzumaki-san indirectly broached the topic with me, he merely confirmed my deductions. As I told him at the time, I am neither stupid nor unobservant. Moreover, it is highly likely that, without the Kyuubi's chakra to draw on, our battle with the missing-nin would have had a far less optimal outcome. Suba Aburame: We are aware that the vessel itself is exempt from the Hokage's law, if it wishes to allow the truth to be known. But what is the nature of our clan's betrayal? Shino:Your choice of pronoun speaks volumes, esteemed elder.
Kurenai in chapter 20 manages to escape Tsukuyomi.
Finding out the real reason Naruto ripped Neji's face open at the end of their fight.
Kakashi and Asuma standing on either side of HyuugaHiashi and threatening him to keep him from punishing Hinata for 'breaking decorum' and comforting Naruto during Kurenai's funeral.
Kakashi accomplishes this by threatening to share his secrets for beating the Byakugan with the entire village while Asuma goes with the direct approach:
Kakashi: I know you have no wish to do anything that might seem disrespectful to Kurenai-san's memory, so you'll stay right here and leave her team alone to say goodbye as they wish to. Hiashi: (seething) You have no right to interfere with my clan! Kakashi: No, I don't...but I do have a right to share any jutsu I've acquired. You know, 'Copy-Cat Ninja Kakashi' and all that. Bingo book says I know over a thousand. (nonchalant shrug) I know of at least two dozen that can neutralize or otherwise bypass eye bloodlines...like the Byakugan. Iruka's always after me to contribute some jutsu to the Academy curriculum, especially for their advanced jutsu workshops. Hiashi: (pissed) That's treason! Kakashi: No, not at all. I'm providing these to the village as a whole. Just because everyone else in the village learns how to fight against the Byakugan—if they have to—doesn't make it treason against Konoha, does it? Asuma: I don't have anything half so elegant; I'll just kick your ass if you take one step towards those kids. Hiashi: Do you really think you can do that? Asuma: A few days ago, the two of us were fighting two of the most dangerous missing-nins in the world. We were out of position or too slow to save a valued comrade from being killed. Now here you are, someone she clearly despised, trying to make an ass of yourself and disrupt her funeral. How can we not?
It's even better when you consider the entire thing is a Batman Gambit. Tsunade could have refused to carry on with the terms of the bet or just flicked him with her finger when Naruto disrupted the genjutsu, which would cause enough harm given her super strength. But Naruto realizes that her age and gambling habits are serious issues for Tsunade and precisely uses them to his advantage.
Hinata's fight against Temari is great on several levels:
First, it means that Hinata, a genin technically on sick leave, beat a kunoichi who should have, by all rights, been made a chunin. Second, she beat a ninja who beat one of her seniors (Ten-Ten (stop laughing)) and the smartest ninja of her generation (technically Shikamaru forfeited but it still counts). Third, despite being the least threatening person in the cast, it showed off how swift and cunning she could be if pressed (evading Gaara's sand claw with a backflip, using a downed clone to draw Temari in for an attack...). And... when the Sands surrender and it's all said and done, she goes back to being quiet,gentleHinata. Awesome.
Hinata's reaction to Naruto being told by a school doctor that he's a monster in regards to making his first kill
Naruto: Well, he told me he didn't think I'd have any problems at all... like I'm some monster that would probably enjoy killing. Hinata: That's bullshit!
Sakura actually does something useful during the fight against Orochimaru. When he summons a snake to capture Sasuke while he fights Naruto, Sakura manages to taunt and distract the snake from squeezing Sasuke into unconsciousness. She does this long enough to drive a kunai straight through its head. Ouch.
