History WhatAnIdiot / Naruto

* Sakura still loves Sasuke, even after he betrayed the village just so he could avenge his clan, back-stabbed all of his teammates on his new team, not to mention ripping up people who made a bad remark about Itachi and Uchiha clan in general. \\
'''You'd Expect:''' Sakura would eventually realize that Sasuke is not worth it. \\
'''Instead''': She still loves him.

'''Instead:''' For reasons unknown to man he decides to go challenge Gaara, a guy he's seen personally crush and cripple Rock Lee and gets killed in ten seconds, not only making his realization pointless but also wasting a character who could've been a wildcard for people to not know whose side is he on.

* Sakura still loves Sasuke, even after he betrayed the village just so he could avenge his clan, backstabbed all of his teammates on his new team, not to mention ripping up people who made a bad remark about Itachi and Uchiha clan in general. \\
'''You'd Expect:''' Sakura would eventually realise that Sasuke is not worth it. \\
'''Instead''': She still loves him.

'''Instead:''' She throws a tantrum, beats up Suigetsu for a bit, then immediately falls back in love with Sasuke without anyone telling her to. ...Stupid slut.

'''Instead:''' For reasons unknown to man he decides to go challenge Gaara, a guy he's seen personally crush and cripple Rock Lee and gets killed in ten seconds, not only making his realization pointless but also wasting a character who could've been a wildcard for people to not know who's side is he on.

* During the Chunin Exams, Sound Ninja Dosu Kinuta has realized that he and his teammates have been setup and used as fodder against Sasuke by Orochimaru and vows to himself to not let this treatment of them go unavenged.
'''You'd Expect:''' Him to try and somehow get information to Sarutobi about what his former student is doing and so Konoha can make preparations to stop Orochimaru's planned attack and foil it.
''''Instead:''' For reasons unknown to man he decides to go challenge Gaara, a guy he's seen personally crush and cripple Rock Lee and gets killed in ten seconds, not only making his realization pointless but also wasting a character who could've been a wildcard for people to not know who's side is he on.

'''Instead:''' She throws a tantrum, beats up Suigetsu for a bit, then immediately falls back in love with Sasuke without anyone telling her to.

'''You'd Expect:''' Sakura would eventually realise that Sasuke is not worth it.

'''You'd Expect:''' For Iruka (a man who has taught these kids for years) to point out that putting a IneffectualLoner with a big GreenEyedMonster problem and {{Revenge}} on the brain, A (physically and emotionally) abused AttentionWhore who always picks a fight with said loner and a fangirl of the loner who keeps beating the AttentionWhore on the same team is a bad idea.\\

'''Instead:''' She throws a tantrum, beats up Suigetsu for a bit, then immediately falls back in love with Sasuke without anyone telling her to.\\
----

* The first four Hokage have been revived via Impure World Resurrection and Sasuke is asking them questions. They know that he has a grudge against their beloved country and wants to destroy it, but is having some doubts. Sasuke asks the Second Hokage about his clan.\\
'''You'd Expect:''' The Second would talk Sasuke out of it. Try to appeal to some sense of goodness. Sure, the guy may be AxeCrazy, but the Second doesn't know that, and if Sasuke is at least asking questions before deciding on his course of action, then he might not be beyond help.\\
'''Instead:''' Tobirama tells Sasuke to his face that the Uchiha clan is evil, they deserved what they got, and if the village benefited from their death, so be it. He tries to kill him, too, but got put in his place. The First Hokage at least called him out on it, and is trying to do ''exactly'' what is listed above.

'''Addendum:''' Obviously this applies to the other 8 Jinchuriki as well, making Akatsuki ultimately totally superfluous in every possible way.

* Sasuke's no better in that scene. He knows, among other things, that Itachi had made [[EliteMook ANBU]] before Sasuke even graduated from the Academy, and that he has YEARS more experience than Sasuke, not just because of age, but because Itachi's ninja career started when he was 6 (Sasuke's started at 12 or 13)
'''You'd Expect:''' Sasuke to realise that he's outmatched either way, grab Naruto, and run for it.

* This trope retroactively applied to Jiraiya when we learned that Pain/Nagato and Konan were trained by Jiraiya when they were kids. Pain had the Rinnegan, supposedly the strongest of the Eye powers, first used by the ''creator'' of ninjutsu, ninja philosophy, and, supposedly, ''the freakin' moon!!''\\
'''You'd Expect:''' Jiraiya would take the kids back to Konoha with him so the village could have all three Eye powers, getting major bragging rights in the ninja world.\\
'''Instead:''' Jiraiya leaves them to own devices, and gives nothing to let them get in touch with Konoha. Eventually, Nagato loses one too many best friends to the violence of the ninja world, and gets manipulated by [[BigBad Obito]] and plans to use the Tailed Demons to make the equivalent of an atomic bomb. His quest for the Demons is what brought him to Konoha's doorstep.
'''However:''' Jiraiya was the Konoha Shinobi they even ''remotely trusted''. Taking them back to Konoha, they'd be more likely to face prejudice for being outsiders (like Kushina did) and Nagato, whose hated Konoha shinobi ever since his parents were killed by Konoha Shinobi...yeah, not a good idea to take them back to the village.

'''Instead:''' Jiraiya leaves them to own devices, and gives nothing to let them get in touch with Konoha. Eventually, Nagato loses one too many best friends to the violence of the ninja world, and gets manipulated by [[BigBad Madara Uchiha]] and plans to use the Tailed Demons to make the equivalent of an atomic bomb. His quest for the Demons is what brought him to Konoha's doorstep.

'''Worse Still:''' While checking on Sasuke, no one makes an attempt to check on Naruto. You know, the kid WITH THE STRONGEST BIJUU SEALED IN HIM! Jiraiya only checks when he trains Naruto. [[HeadDesk A few days later]].

* Again the selection process deserves mention when it comes to Team 7.
'''You'd Expect:''' For Iruka to point out that putting a IneffectualLoner with a big GreenEyedMonster problem and {{Revenge}} on the brain, A (physically and emotionally) abused AttentionWhore who always picks a fight with said loner and a fangirl of the loner who keeps beating the AttentionWhore on the same team is a bad idea.\\

'''Instead:''' He does the sealing himself, using a seal that is dependent on Sasuke's willpower to maintain. The same Sasuke who is desperate for power to defeat his brother and will jump at any opportunity to get it. That's like giving a kid free access to a box of cookies and expecting him not to eat them. It goes without saying that this seal ''never'' worked.

''Worse Still:''' She ''almost'' redeems herself by trying to knife him in the back with a poisoned blade, but chokes at the last second and nearly gets killed. '''Again.''' Oh, and Sasuke ended up taking the blade and hits Naruto with it when he pulls a BigDamnHeroes to save her. She came very close to getting Naruto killed through her own ineptitude.

'''You'd Expect:''' Tsunade to keep Naruto away from this mess. He has not finished his training yet and Pain is the person who killed Naruto's mentor, Jiraiya.\\

* Anytime that Naruto leaves the village, ever, and is either alone or with only a few people who aren't expecting immediate danger. Special mention to the battle with Sasuke at the Valley of the End\\

* Sasuke has just given Karin the nth degree when Sakura shows up, [[FaceHeelTurn wanting to join him]] in his nefarious plans like she proposed in Part I. Sasuke is still standing over the prone, bleeding, barely conscious [[spoiler: Karin]] and there's a good chance Sakura saw the end of his fight with Danzo. Sasuke demands that Sakura ShootTheMedicFirst before she joins him.\\

'''Instead:''' [[spoiler: Naruto and Bee stand there, doing nothing as Tobi orders the Six Paths to attack. Bee gets his hand melted slightly, Naruto is hit by three of the Jinchuriki Paths and incapacitated since [[IForgotICouldFly he forgets about his speed]] and needs to be saved by Kakashi and Gai.]]

'''Instead:''' [[spoiler: He continues sitting around and lets Itachi break through his barrier. Note, he could have already been in his [[SuperMode Sage Mode]] by then and hit him with his blinding Gatsugei or have the entire earth attack him with Mushi Tensei. No, instead he sits there, bragging on how Edo Tensei can't be stopped and let Sasuke come to back Itachi up.]]
* After the revelation that [[spoiler:Itachi]] is trying to protect Sasuke and wants him to be loyal to Konoha. After Sasuke confronts him and Kisame.\\
'''You'd Expect:''' [[spoiler:Itachi]] to hold his cover and to do as little damage as possible.\\

* [[spoiler: Naruto is the son of the 4th Hokage and the Kyuubi's previous jinchuuriki.]]\\
'''You'd Expect:''' [[spoiler: Those who knew this, at least; Sarutobi, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, to take extra special care in Naruto's upbringing and raise him. That they would at least train him better, ensure that he had better treatment in the village, and that when he was of appropriate age, inform him of his parentage to encourage him.]]\\
'''Instead:''' Jiraiya and Tsunade don't even associate with Naruto until he's nearly a teenager, Sarutobi hangs in the background without taking necessary measures, and Kakashi says nothing. It is through a series of contrived coincidences occur that reveal the truth to Naruto, when learning before hand would have been '''very''' helpful.

* [[spoiler:TheDragon, Pain, has attacked Konoha and is destroying everything in sight. He wants to capture Naruto. One problem: Naruto is away training. Tsunade has to decide what to do.]]\\
'''You'd Expect:''' [[spoiler: Tsunade to keep Naruto away from this mess. He has not finished his training yet and Pain is the person who killed Naruto's mentor, Jiraiya.]]\\
'''Instead:''' [[spoiler: Tsunade asks a frog messenger to get Naruto back to the village! The village where a death machine wants him and will probably kill him if he engages him.]]
* [[spoiler:Then, Naruto fights Pain.]]\\
'''You'd Expect:''' [[spoiler:Pain to pull the Naraka Path away from battle. The only combat-efficient move that Path could do would result in his opponent's death. And it's an interrogation move. Considering Naruto is a Jinchuriki, that would majorly screw up Akatsuki's plan. Plus, the Naraka Path could revive any of the other paths should they be disabled in battle. So, pull him from battle, and as soon as Naruto kills one of the other paths, have the Naraka Path recover the body behind Naruto's back, go into hiding, and ressurect the body ''there.'']]\\
'''Instead:''' [[spoiler:'''He's out in the open doing fuck-all except for reviving one path!''' And then he gets killed off rather easily.]]
* This trope retroactively applied to Jiraiya when we learned that Pain/[[spoiler: Nagato]] and Konan [[spoiler: were trained by Jiraiya when they were kids]]. Pain had the Rinnegan, supposedly the strongest of the Eye powers, first used by the ''creator'' of ninjutsu, ninja philosophy, and, supposedly, ''the freakin' moon!!''\\

'''Instead:''' [[spoiler: Jiraiya leaves them to own devices, and gives nothing to let them get in touch with Konoha. Eventually, Nagato loses one too many best friends to the violence of the ninja world, and gets manipulated by [[BigBad Madara Uchiha]] and plans to use the Tailed Demons to make the equivalent of an atomic bomb. His quest for the Demons is what brought him to Konoha's doorstep.]]

* Sasuke has just given [[spoiler: Karin]] the nth degree when Sakura shows up, [[FaceHeelTurn wanting to join him]] in his nefarious plans like she proposed in Part I. Sasuke is still standing over the prone, bleeding, barely conscious [[spoiler: Karin]] and there's a good chance Sakura saw the end of his fight with [[spoiler:Danzo]]. Sasuke demands that Sakura [[spoiler: ShootTheMedicFirst]] before she joins him.\\

'''Instead:''' She does and Sasuke promptly tries to knife her InTheBack, prompting a BigDamnHeroes from [[spoiler: Kakashi]].

* [[TheDragon Kabuto]] has now [[spoiler:managed to capture both [[TheMessiah Naruto]] and [[CrazyAwesome Killer Bee]] with the rejuvenated Nagato.]] \\

'''Instead:''' [[spoiler: Instead, he turns off the Preta Path ability thus enabling him to be blind sighted by Itachi in [[PowerArmor Susanoo]], and Naruto and Bee get freed. Adding insult to injury, he uses Nagato to create the Chibaku Tensei and just ''stands there'' instead of you know, summoning another bird or one of the Rams or Rhinos in his disposal. He doesn't even keep the Preta Path ability up in the little chance that the Chibaku Tensei gets destroyed. Thus, Nagato gets sealed.]]

* The first four Hokage have been revived via Impure World Resurrection and Sasuke is asking them questions. They know that he has a grudge against their beloved country and wants to destroy it, but is having some doubts. Sasuke asks the Second Hokage about his clan.
'''You'd Expect:''' The Second would talk Sasuke out of it. Try to appeal to some sense of goodness. Sure, the guy may be AxeCrazy, but the Second doesn't know that, and if Sasuke is at least asking questions before deciding on his course of action, then he might not be beyond help.
'''Instead:''' Tobirama tells Sasuke to his face that the Uchiha clan is evil, they deserved what they got, and if the village benefitted from their death, so be it. The First Hokage at least called him out on it, and has displayed considerably more common sense.

* The Kyuubi attacked Konoha and killed many people. The fourth hokage heroically sacrificed himself to seal it into a newborn baby. However, the child now has no family to speak of, and should he let it, [[SuperPoweredEvilSide the beast will take over.]]
'''You'd Expect''': The people of the village to raise the child positively, and keep loving people around him, if only to monitor him. Because the last thing you need is someone with a SuperPoweredEvilSide with mental issues.
'''Instead''': They are outright hostile towards him, leave him on his own with no real adults in his life, and encourage their children to do the same. All without ever telling him why.

'''You'd Expect''' [[spoiler: Tsunade to keep Naruto away from this mess. He has not finished his training yet and Pain is the person who killed Naruto's mentor, Jiraiya.]]\\
'''Instead''' [[spoiler: Tsunade asks a frog messenger to get Naruto back to the village! The village where a death machine wants him and will probably kill him if he engages him.]]

'''You'd Expect''' [[spoiler:Pain to pull the Naraka Path away from battle. The only combat-efficient move that Path could do would result in his opponent's death. And it's an interrogation move. Considering Naruto is a Jinchuriki, that would majorly screw up Akatsuki's plan. Plus, the Naraka Path could revive any of the other paths should they be disabled in battle. So, pull him from battle, and as soon as Naruto kills one of the other paths, have the Naraka Path recover the body behind Naruto's back, go into hiding, and ressurect the body ''there.'']]\\
'''Instead''' [[spoiler:'''He's out in the open doing fuck-all except for reviving one path!''' And then he gets killed off rather easily.]]

'''You'd Expect''' Jiraiya would take the kids back to Konoha with him so the village could have all three Eye powers, getting major bragging rights in the ninja world.\\
'''Instead''' [[spoiler: Jiraiya leaves them to own devices, and gives nothing to let them get in touch with Konoha. Eventually, Nagato loses one too many best friends to the violence of the ninja world, and gets manipulated by [[BigBad Madara Uchiha]] and plans to use the Tailed Demons to make the equivalent of an atomic bomb. His quest for the Demons is what brought him to Konoha's doorstep.]]

'''You'd Expect:''' that Kabuto might remember that he still has legs, and kick Naruto in the face.\\

'''You'd Expect''': Tobi to appear in front of him and use his Time Space attack to capture him instantly. We've seen him sense people and teleport right to them, after all. At the battle with Sasuke, not only was Naruto especially vulnerable, but Zetsu was watching and has been shown to be good at contacting Tobi.\\
'''Instead''': He doesn't. Honorable mention goes to anyone who thought him leaving the village was a good idea, especially after Itachi's visit confirms that Akatsuki is after him. On multiple occasions, Naruto is with only a few people while actively seeking out Akatsuki members who are after him. Idiots indeed.

'''You'd Expect''': Tobi to show up at any time during Naruto's childhood, capture the defenseless child (remember, Naruto was alone most of his life, Iruka and others acknowledging him is a major part of his story arc), and either extract the Kyuubi to use as a weapon, or hold him until the Kyuubi is necessary.\\
'''Instead''': Tobi just leaves Naruto alone for 13 years instead of actually trying to capture him. Then sends Itachi and Kisame to try once, then ignores him for 3+ years, particularly while he's out in the world with only Jiraiya to protect him.\\
'''Addendum''': Obviously this applies to the other 8 Jinchuriki as well, making Akatsuki ultimately totally superfluous in every possible way.

'''You'd Think:''' Since one of Sakura's most noted traits, before being TheLoad and then ActionGirl, was being the [[SmartGuy Smart Girl]], that she would think that something's up with Sasuke and at least not show her back to him.\\

'''You'd Expect''': She'd jump on top of him and stab him with the kunai either to kill or disable him so he couldn't fight her anymore.\\
'''Instead''': She lands on him and ''bites his arm'', doing nothing while he repeatedly punches her on the head.

'''You'd Expect''': Knowing that Itachi is still out there, he'd keep Nagato's Preta Path ability up, as well as create more summons to widen the field of Shared Vision. Thus, when Itachi begins his counter attack he'd be able to easily retort and capture Itachi too.\\
'''Instead''': [[spoiler: Instead, he turns off the Preta Path ability thus enabling him to be blindsighted by Itachi in [[PowerArmor Susanoo]], and Naruto and Bee get freed. Adding insult to injury, he uses Nagato to create the Chibaku Tensei and just ''stands there'' instead of you know, summoning another bird or one of the Rams or Rhinos in his disposal. He doesn't even keep the Preta Path ability up in the little chance that the Chibaku Tensei gets destroyed. Thus, Nagato gets sealed.]]

'''You'd Expect''': Naruto to tell Bee to quickly launch a [[WaveMotionGun Bijudama]] before they can attack, or at least enter V2 himself to get back his mobility. And if they got close? Start using his fabled speed and reflexes.\\
'''Instead''': [[spoiler: Naruto and Bee stand there, doing nothing as Tobi orders the Six Paths to attack. Bee gets his hand melted slightly, Naruto is hit by three of the Jinchuriki Paths and incapacitated since [[IForgotICouldFly he forgets about his speed]] and needs to be saved by Kakashi and Gai.]]

'''You'd expect''' for Neji to recognize an open declaration of war, and coordinate a joint attack taking out the bastard.\\
'''Instead''' he forbids his team to interfere in another country's internal affairs - basically condemning an entire village and his own teammates to certain death.
* Filler Neji again. During the penultimate filler arc of the original series, Naruto escorts an amnesiac ninja to the Land of Rice Fields, to help him recover his memory. Neji is ordered to follow them and keep an eye on the latter, due to strong evidence of him being a sound ninja, and his possible connection with the man who attacked the village. They arive to a village near the Land of Rice Fields that has been burned to the ground by sound ninjas, and there's a good possibility they might return at any moment, killing many innocents. The amnesiac Menma decides to stay and help the people defend themselves.\\
'''You'd expect''' Neji to agree, seeing how his mission was to keep an eye on Menma, and not much else, also considering the possibility that there might be a connection between the ninjas who attacked the village and the one who was after Menma, not to mention that Menma was found shortly after the attack on the village took place.\\
'''Instead''' He refuses to stay and urges Menma and Naruto to carry on with the mission, even after Menma tells him that helping the villagers might trigger some of his memories and refuses to even look into any possible connection between Menma, the village, the attackers and the man who attacked the leaf village earlier, effectively defying the Hokage's orders because of a minor technicality.

'''You'd Expect''' him to set up a trap to catch Itachi unawares, knowing what Itachi is capable of. Either a new type of clone, summoning a few of his backup Edo Tensei's, or even hiding under ground since the Sharingan can't see through the earth.\\
'''Instead''' [[spoiler: he continues sitting around and lets Itachi break through his barrier. Note, he could have already been in his [[SuperMode Sage Mode]] by then and hit him with his blinding Gatsugei or have the entire earth attack him with Mushi Tensei. No, instead he sits there, bragging on how Edo Tensei can't be stopped and let Sasuke come to back Itachi up.]]

'''You'd Expect''' [[spoiler:Itachi]] to hold his cover and to do as little damage as possible.\\
'''Instead''' He uses [[ThereIsNoKillLikeOverkill Tsukuyomi]] to force Sasuke to relive the Uchiha massacre ''again'' (having done the same thing to Sasuke immediately after it happened). End result: Sasuke defects from Konoha and later plans to destroy it and everyone in it. [[NiceJobBreakingItHero Good job, Itachi]].

'''You'd Expect''': Naruto, who's aiming for the head, to knock Sasuke's ass unconscious. Naruto knows he going down, too, but at least Sasuke wouldn't be going anywhere.\\
'''Instead''': He decides to graze Sasuke's forehead protector. Apparently since Sasuke said he couldn't do it.

'''You'd Expect''': Since Naruto is clearly not the weakest in the year group, due to learning this jutsu, and is in fact likely to gain power very quickly and ''surpass'' Sasuke, to put these two in different teams. It's just a display of common sense. The fact that Sasuke has serious [[GreenEyedMonster jealousy problems]] is another good reason.\\
'''Instead''': They're put on the same team, and if the Chunin exams hadn't contained the best candidates in years (including [[TheDragon the number two to the main antagonist]] of the entire first half of the series and ''another'' vessel of one of these beasts), Team 7 would have [[CurbStompBattle swept]] the Chunin exams. And if Sasuke hadn't turned evil, the team would probably be the best in the ninja world right now. Sure, these aren't ''huge'' problems, but way to keep things "balanced".

'''You'd Expect''': [[spoiler: Those who knew this, at least; Sarutobi, Jiraiya, Tsunade, Kakashi, to take extra special care in Naruto's upbringing and raise him. That they would at least train him better, ensure that he had better treatment in the village, and that when he was of appropriate age, inform him of his parentage to encourage him.]]\\
'''Instead''': Jiraiya and Tsunade don't even associate with Naruto until he's nearly a teenager, Sarutobi hangs in the background without taking necessary measures, and Kakashi says nothing. It is through a series of contrived coincidences occur that reveal the truth to Naruto, when learning before hand would have been '''very''' helpful.

'''Instead''': Jiraiya and Tsunade don't even associate with Naruto until he's a nearly teen, Sarutobi hangs in the background without taking necessary measures, and Kakashi says nothing. It is through a series of contrived coincidences occur that reveal the truth to Naruto, when learning before hand would have been '''very''' helpful.

* ''{{Naruto}}'':
** [[spoiler:TheDragon, Pain, has attacked Konoha and is destroying everything in sight. He wants to capture Naruto. One problem: Naruto is away training. Tsunade has to decide what to do.]]\\

** [[spoiler:Then, Naruto fights Pain.]]\\

** This trope retroactively applied to Jiraiya when we learned that Pain/[[spoiler: Nagato]] and Konan [[spoiler: were trained by Jiraiya when they were kids]]. Pain had the Rinnegan, supposedly the strongest of the Eye powers, first used by the ''creator'' of ninjutsu, ninja philosophy, and, supposedly, ''the freakin' moon!!''\\

** Also, pre-timeskip: Naruto is having trouble hitting Kabuto with his new uber-move because Kabuto's too good at dodging and is kicking the snot out of Naruto despite only having one working arm. Employing desperation tactics, Naruto manages to grab Kabuto's good arm.\\

** Anytime that Naruto leaves the village, ever, and is either alone or with only a few people who aren't expecting immediate danger. Special mention to the battle with Sasuke at the Valley of the End\\

** Furthermore, Tobi can teleport wherever he wants on a whim without anyone having any way of actually knowing he's done so until he's there, and them similarly having no actual way of stopping him.\\

** A related one the Danzo fight: Sasuke is confronting Danzo for ordering Itachi to slay the Uchiha clan. Sasuke, not fully trusting Madara's story, asks Danzo if this is truly the case. Danzo's mind control eye has not fully recharged yet.\\

** Sasuke has just given [[spoiler: Karin]] the nth degree when Sakura shows up, [[FaceHeelTurn wanting to join him]] in his nefarious plans like she proposed in Part I. Sasuke is still standing over the prone, bleeding, barely conscious [[spoiler: Karin]] and there's a good chance Sakura saw the end of his fight with [[spoiler:Danzo]]. Sasuke demands that Sakura [[spoiler: ShootTheMedicFirst]] before she joins him.\\

** In the Forest of Death during the Chunin Exams, Sakura is left fighting 3 sound ninja all by herself. She tricks one of them through an admittedly tricky series of substitutions, getting him to assume she's a substitution when she isn't, giving her a window of opportunity as she jumps down on him with a kunai in her hand.\\

** [[TheDragon Kabuto]] has now [[spoiler:managed to capture both [[TheMessiah Naruto]] and [[CrazyAwesome Killer Bee]] with the rejuvenated Nagato.]] \\

** Naruto is facing Tobi's Jinchuriki Six Paths. They have taken their [[SuperPoweredEvilSide V2 forms]], while he and Bee are standing in front of them. \\

** The fillers did this with Neji in the Star saga. BigBad Akahoshi hires the heroes to protect the village's secret weapon, but then takes measures to recover it himself, then declares them enemies of the Hidden Star Village, in front of a large crowd because they know of their motives. In the finale, everybody comes together, Akahoshi's plan to mutate the children of the village with the power of the meteorite into an army that will help him conquer the other nations is exposed, and he decides to use the meteor by himself to slaughter his own people and the Leaf genin present.\\

** Filler Neji again. During the penultimate filler arc of the original series, Naruto escorts an amnesiac ninja to the Land of Rice Fields, to help him recover his memory. Neji is ordered to follow them and keep an eye on the latter, due to strong evidence of him being a sound ninja, and his possible connection with the man who attacked the village. They arive to a village near the Land of Rice Fields that has been burned to the ground by sound ninjas, and there's a good possibility they might return at any moment, killing many innocents. The amnesiac Menma decides to stay and help the people defend themselves.\\

** [[TheDragon Kabuto]] is now confronting Itachi and Sasuke. \\

** After the revelation that [[spoiler:Itachi]] is trying to protect Sasuke and wants him to be loyal to Konoha. After Sasuke confronts him and Kisame.\\

** The first fight at the Valley of the End has Naruto and Sasuke make their final attacks. Both pretty much waste any actual killing force, limiting them to knockout strikes. Sasuke's now normal punch is aimed for the gut.\\

** The selection process used to make Genin teams balanced. Apparently the students who performed first and last at the Academy are put on the same team to keep things balanced. At the beginning of the series, the first is Sasuke and the last is Naruto. Naruto, however, was passed on the basis of being able to perform a forbidden ninjutsu, due to having an ancient, powerful beast sealed inside him.\\

'''Instead''': They're put on the same team, and if the Chunin exams hadn't contained the best candidates in years (including [[TheDragon the number two to the main antagonist]] of the entire first half of the series and ''another'' vessel of one of these beasts), Team 7 would have [[CurbStompBattle swept]] the Chunin exams. And if Sasuke hadn't turned evil, the team would probably be the best in the ninja world right now. Sure, these aren't ''huge'' problems, but way to keep things "balanced".