Naruto is filled with a variety of different characters. Kishimoto did a fine job of making sure that all the characters introduced in the series got a bit of screen time, which is otherwise a big problem when the series has a huge cast of characters.

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Some of the personalities in the series have gone unnoticed; the characters are very good but they went under the radar for one reason or the other. In this list, let's take a glance at the ten most underappreciated characters in Naruto.

10 SAKUMO HATAKE

Sakumo Hatake is the father of Kakashi Hatake. He was classified in the same bracket as the Legendary Sannin. Sakumo earned the epithet of " White Fang of the Hidden Leaf." His name was known throughout the other villages.

Sakumo was also responsible for the killing of Sasori's parents. Sakumo's life took a turn for the worse when he chose to save the lives of his comrades instead of completing the mission. Sakumo was rebuked for his decision and in the end, he fell into despair and then committed suicide.

9 OROCHIMARU

Unlike the other two members of the Legendary Sannin, Orochimaru is not loved by the fans but that doesn't undermine his skills. Orochimaru is the best scientist in the series without a shadow of a doubt. He managed to prolong his own life while looking for the perfect body.

Orochimaru was able to make a cursed seal. He was also the prime candidate for the position of the Hokage. It was only due to his illegal experiments that he was driven out of the village.

8 NEJI HYUGA

neji hyuga naruto

Neji Hyuga was one of the most promising rookies in the Chunin Exams. He was labeled as a Hyuga prodigy and his performances up to his fight with Naruto were immaculate.

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The fight versus Naruto would end all the hype around Neji. He completely faded into the background after that battle. Even today, several of Neji's fights after the Chunin Exams aren't appreciated enough. His big role in the Fourth Great Ninja War was acting as a plot device to hype up Naruto and Hinata's romance.

7 HIRUZEN SARUTOBI

Image of Hiruzen Sarutobi from Naruto.

From a very young age, Hiruzen started to train under Tobirama Senju. He grew up as an ardent believer in the Will of Fire. Hiruzen is among the most disrespected characters in the series without a doubt. Many fans fail to realize that Hiruzen had the same epithet as Hashirama Senju.

Both of them were labeled as "God of Shinobi." Unlike Hashirama, who had the Wood Release and the sage mode, Hiruzen trained and used his brains to become of the most respected ninjas in history.

6 SAKURA HARUNO

Sakura Haruno readying a punch

Sakura is one of the members of Team 7 along with Naruto and Sasuke. For some viewers, she remained an annoying character for the majority of the series, but she wasn't useless.

Sakura surpassed her teacher, Tsunade, during the Fourth Great Ninja War. She has outstanding chakra control, which has been pointed out by Kakashi. Sakura saved several lives during the war and she deserves to be included in the list of the war heroes.

5 SHINO ABURAME

Shino about to use his bugs (Naruto)

Shino hails from the Aburame Clan, which is one of Konoha's four noble clans. Like the other members of his clan, Shino specializes in using insects as weapons, which are reared by the members and trained to fight.

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As seen throughout the series, the insects are very powerful and they can suck a person dry quickly. Using insects as a weapon might not be flashy, but it shouldn't be overlooked. The lack of a flashy jutsu is not enough of a reason to not appreciate Shino.

4 HANZO

Hanzo The Salamander in Naruto

Hanzo was the leader of the Hidden Rain Village. In his prime, Hanzo was capable of taking on all three members of the Legendary Sannin; he managed to beat all three of them but spared their lives and coined the name "Legendary Sannin."

Despite this incredible feat and the fact that he tends to be considered among the greatest shinobi to ever exist, Hanzo's name is scarcely mentioned during debates.

3 KIMIMARO

Kimimaro's bone jutsu in Naruto.

Kimimaro was the leader of Sound Five. Orochimaru took him under his wing when he was still a kid. Kimimaro grew affectionate towards Orochimaru, and he was willing to help him in every way. Despite knowing Orochimaru's intentions of taking over his body, Kimimaro stayed loyal to him.

When he was diagonal with an unknown illness, Kimimaro went with Orochimaru's decision of taking Sasuke's body. He was a jonin level character easily and his unwavering loyalty is a very rare trait.

2 IRUKA UMINO

Iruka and Naruto eat Ichiraku ramen

Iruka is the main reason behind Naruto's growth as a person. When he stole the Forbidden Scroll on Mizuki's orders, Iruka chased him down and protected him from Mizuki's attack.

Iruka was also the first person to acknowledge Naruto as a ninja. This made a huge impression on Naruto's mind. Iruka also consoled Naruto after the death of Jiraiya. Iruka might not be powerful but he certainly a lot of credit for molding Naruto into a fine person.

1 SHIKAKU NARA

Shikaku Nara

Shikaku was a major influence on the life of his son. It is undoubtedly true that Shikamaru had the best parent in the series. Shikaku helped his son a lot when he needed it, especially when Asuma died.

Also, Shikaku was the only parent who didn't stop his son from playing with Naruto. As a parent, Shikaku was a role model who should be admired.

NEXT: Naruto: 5 Ways Sasuke Deserved His Redemption (& 5 Ways He Didn't)