Masashi Kishimoto is the mangaka/creator of the now iconic Naruto series. Adapted from its manga, Naruto follows the life, journey, and (mis)adventures of the titular young hero. It has a wide variety of characters and has enough action sequences to keep fans engaged. Yet, needless to say, such a popular series is not without its problems.
One of the biggest problems with Naruto—or the shounen genre in general—is how heroes behave in a fashion that is expected of them and not how people would normally behave. Listed below are 10 crazy things Naruto did that drove fans up the wall.
10 His Brashness
Confidence is an attractive feature, but not overconfidence. Naruto's decisions and rash actions have consistently jeopardized missions, put the lives of innocent people in danger, and have even threatened the safety of his own friends and family. Not only that, but he also creates huge messes everywhere he goes, and his decisions complicate matters that could have easily been resolved with simple communication.
9 No Consequences For His Actions
When was the last time Naruto was given a genuinely harsh punishment for all the grief he'd caused to everybody around him? Never. The reason he's immature even as an adult is not because it's his "nature," but because he never has to pay the price for his stupidity. He keeps on making the same mistakes again and again, and his friends stand by his side, just watching him repeat the same stupid stuff. One of the best examples is given below.
8 He's A Vandal
Becoming the Hokage is no joke by any means. It takes a lot of hard work, sincerity, and a good character to be one. It has been Naruto's dream to be the Hokage ever since he was a child, and how does he go about becoming one? By defacing a respectable Hokage monument. His only punishment is to clean up his mess, and that's it.
7 His Relationship With Sasuke
Naruto's fixation with Sasuke is inexplicable. Fans have often laughed it as more of a Tom 'n' Jerry kind of relationship, but the truth is that Sasuke kept hurting innocent people, along with his friends, and betraying Naruto, but Naruto turned the other way whenever his friend committed crimes
Honestly, Naruto's obsession with a criminal like Sasuke is nothing but toxic, and it annoyed a great many fans to see Naruto consistently seeking Sasuke's validation simply because the plot demanded it. What was worse was how Naruto did not even denounce all the horrible crimes Sasuke had committed.
6 In Shounen Land, Nice Automatically Means Naive
Being kind to people is one thing, but to look the other way or to "forgive" people who have been caught—not merely accused of—committing serious crimes, is just being dumb. Naruto has consistently shown to put his faith in people who don't deserve it, and, since he's surrounded by friends who do not egg him to become a better person, he never learns from his actions. He keeps on believing in the "goodness" of people, and this belief often lands him in various messes.
5 He's Buddies With His Parents' Murderer
If his parents were evil people who deserved to die, it would be understandable that Naruto would forgive their killer and be friends with him. But, not only does he forgive the nine-tailed fox, but its puppet master, as well. Why? Because that's what "good" guys do. Lame.
4 He's Hardly There For His Family
As is constantly reiterated throughout the series, Naruto doesn't improve, even when he grows up to be a fully functioning adult. As Hokage, he puts the concern of everybody else above his family's needs for him. In fact, he stoops low enough to send one of his clones to her daughter's birthday.
3 He's A Jerk Father
Even when he's present for his family, Naruto outright sucks as a father. When his son Boruto is caught cheating during the Chuunin exams, what does Naruto do? He disqualifies him, which is the right thing to do, but not before he publicly shames and humiliates his son for his actions, which was a terrible thing to do and feels at least a bit hypocritical.
2 He Keeps Secrets From His Friends
Konohamaru is a teacher to the kids of Naruto and Sasuke, as well as Orochimaru's son Mitsuki. However, Naruto conveniently forgets to mention to Konohamaru that Mitsuki is the child of his (Konohamaru's) grandfather's killer. It seems like protecting Mitsuki's identity was more important to him than letting Konohamaru know the truth.
1 Doesn't Respect A Woman's Consent
Sakura likes Sasuke, but Naruto likes Sakura. So, what does he do? He becomes Sasuke and attempts to kiss her. While he's unable to do so and it's played off as a joke, what most fans didn't realize is that such an action is classified as a sexual assault. If this were the real world, that would have landed him good jail time... or a lot of hate from the public, at the very least.