The Naruto universe is full of compelling and hair-raising battles in which the heroes' conflict with the villain is narrowly decided. Their fates are not always etched in stone, though. Sometimes, the forces of evil emerge victorious, rendering every encounter memorable and unpredictable.
However, some conflicts were gallingly one-sided to such an extent that the encounter is almost comical. A few battles even lasted a mere seconds, compelling one to wonder if they can even be considered fights at all. Through examining the worst match-ups of the series, we can best determine the shinobi who were grossly unprepared to fight their opponents.
10 Kakashi's Test Was Extremely Difficult
Kakashi's initial battle against Team Seven was a test he devised for every new shinobi squad under his leadership. Much to the other Jonins' chagrin, it was not designed for the students to pass - on the contrary, they were set up for failure.
The only way to actually overcome his trial is if the group decides to work together and is willing to go against rules in order to prevail. After Kakashi saw Sasuke feeding Naruto, he knew that this lineup of prospects had potential.
9 Orochimaru Dominated Team Seven In The Forest Of Death
When Orochimaru first revealed himself, it was to battle against Team Seven during the Forest of Death portion of the Chunin Exams. As a Kage-tier shinobi, his power overshadowed Kakashi's, a fact that the White Fang's son admitted to. Subsequently, the trio had no hope of defeating him.
The consequences of their conflict would be felt for years to come. After delivering a curse mark to Sasuke that augmented his power (but corrupted his spirit), the young Uchiha became enthralled with what Orochimaru had to offer and would later become his apprentice.
8 Itachi Could Have Easily Choked Sasuke To Death In Their First Fight
Once Sasuke discovered that his older brother was in the village, he raced to Naruto's hotel to claim his vengeance. The bold Uchiha uncovered his sibling right before he could deal the Jinchuriki harm and attacked him without hesitation.
Predictably, this portended disastrous results. His brother dominated him in battle so decisively that Kisame did not need to intervene. After his victory, he tortured him with genjutsu, forcing him to relive the night his clan was exterminated. This increased Sasuke's already reckless hunger for power and further compelled him to leave the Leaf.
7 Gaara's Fight Against Dosu Lasted Seconds
Dosu was tasked with assassinating Gaara in the middle of the night. Without moral reservation or a hint of cowardice, he confronted the Jinchuriki on Konoha's rooftops, stating his intentions since he didn't believe his opponent could stop him based on what he already observed.
This prompted Gaara to unleash a sliver of Shukaku, one that surprised and confounded his less experienced adversary. The realization of his mistake came a moment too late - before Dosu could utter another word or even attempt to resist with the power of his gauntlet, Gaara killed him instantly.
6 Tenten Was Humiliated By Temari
Tenten is often referred to as a useless shinobi based on the only memorable fight she had against Temari. Though she was able to unleash a small arsenal of weapons with a flick of her scroll, the Sand ninja conveniently scattered them with a single whisk of her fan.
It effectively ruined the Leaf ninja's greatest hope of victory, especially given the wide range of her adversary's power. After her failed attack, the genin's defeat was prompt, brutal, and illustrated the power at the fingertips of Gaara's sister.
5 Pain's Battle Against Ebisu Was A Wild Ride
During Pain's attack on Konoha, Ebisu placed himself in front of Konohamaru to buy the young child time to flee. The Path he was standing in front of was hardly amused, seizing his neck and preparing to kill him. Given the teacher's limited experience, he did not have a remote chance of victory.
However, Konohamaru was able to ambush him from behind with a Rasengan, killing the Path instantly. The heroes were able to win their confrontation with the element of surprise despite being staggeringly outclassed.
4 Konan Easily Countered The Aburame Clan's Insects
Konan briefly joined Pain during the assault on Konoha. She was confronted by Shino and the rest of the Aburame clan, who immediately identified her by her cloak and assailed her with beetles.
However, she was able to evade the full extent of their chakra-depleting attacks by creating clones of herself and lunging toward her enemies. Once the distance had been closed, she detonated on them, causing severe damage and obliterating whatever insects were currently clinging to her copies' bodies. It demonstrated that as versatile as the Aburame clan might seem, there are many ways to exploit their straightforward jutsu.
3 Kankuro's Battle Against Sasori Proved How Little He Knew About Puppets
After Sasori and Deidara kidnapped Gaara, Kankuro raced into the desert to thwart them. He summoned his puppets and prepared to fight - since the villains were on a timetable, the enemy puppeteer volunteered to defeat him expediently.
Not only was Sasori immune to many of Kankuro's conventional weapons on account of his physiology, but he also had vastly more experience and wielded a greater arsenal. Through striking the joints of his dolls and poisoning him with his tail, he defeated the Sand shinobi without receiving a single consequential injury.
2 Hinata Never Stood A Chance Against Neji
Once it was announced that Neji would be fighting Hinata in the Chunin Exam, the Hyuga Clan servant instructed her to surrender so he wouldn't have to hurt her. It was a reasonable claim; all present understood the massive disparity in their skill.
However, Hinata was inspired by Naruto's example and would not be cowed by the threat her adversary posed. What ensued was a noble (albeit heartbreaking) battle where Neji decimated his rival with dozens of palm strikes. It exacerbated the tension between him and Naruto leading up to their fight.
1 Itachi Vastly Outclassed Kurenai In A Battle Of Genjutsu
Once the Akatsuki's excursion into the Leaf was uncovered, Kurenai and Asuma were the first to confront them. The former was only experienced in genjutsu and attempted to use it against Itachi.
As a master of illusions himself (and the owner of two powerful Sharingan), her spell was worthless against its target. Instead, the rogue Uchiha turned it against her before pummeling the kunoichi into the ground. Only Kakashi's intervention prevented him from visiting a more brutal fate on his victim for her insolence.