Somebody told me I’m a failure. I’ll prove them wrong. BELIEVE IT!!!! ~Naruto Uzumaki

It was the October of 2014 that I started watching Naruto and I particularly found this Anime interesting. I was not a fan of watching anime though at that time, but this one was different. This was relate-able. It was something else, it was something special.

First and foremost, before telling you guys what life lessons this manga and anime has to offer I would briefly like to tell you guys what exactly this Naruto thing is all about.

Naruto (ナルト) is a Japanese manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It tells the story of Naruto Uzumaki (うずまきナルト, Uzumaki Naruto) who is a shinobi of Konoha. He became the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails on the day of his birth — a fate that caused him to be ostracized by most of Konoha throughout his childhood. It’s a tale of an adolescent ninja who constantly searches for recognition and dreams to become the Hokage, the ninja in his village who is acknowledged as the leader and the strongest of all.

Now that you have a fair idea about Naruto, let’s begin.

The tale of Naruto Uzumaki is not the story of just one person, rather it has lots of unique characters which a reader or a viewer can relate to and get inspired by. Everyone has ups and downs in their life, many are born with some talent while other have to work hard to learn a skill, many are born with a silver spoon while others are not that fortunate. This tale deals with all kinds of people.

Every character from Naruto is a crown jewel. Every one has a story to tell and every story has its own lessons. But I have narrowed it down to 15 most important characters who meant a great deal in teaching all of us very important life lessons.

*Spoiler Alert*

15. Asuma Sarutobi:

In the series, Asuma, while playing chess with his student Shikamaru Nara, asks him that if the chess is the real world then who is the king in the real world, which we fight to protect? Shikamaru is the smartest character in the Naruto-verse and even he is not able to answer it. When Asuma is having his last breath he whispers the answer to Shikamaru. His last words are The Children are the king in the real world. So Asuma Sarutobi taught us that children are the world’s future, and are worth protecting with our very lives.

14. Itachi Uchiha:

In the series Itachi Uchiha kills his own clan in just one night which also includes his mother and father except his brother, Sauske Uchiha. For majority of the series Itachi plays a villain which is hated by all but later we find out that his every action had a reason for the greater good. He kills his clan because they were planning a Coup d’état against his village and he even goes undercover and joins a team of villains called Akatsuki because they were a threat to the world. So Itachi Uchiha taught us that the ultimate sacrifice for the greater good is more important.

13. Hinata Hyūga:

Hinata is the most lovable character in the series. She belongs to a very honorable clan and because she has a meek disposition, much of her family doubts that she is suited for the responsibilities of the clan, much less life as a ninja. Hinata is soft-spoken and polite, she is deeply kind, always thinking of others’ feelings and well-being. She also has a crush on Naruto. When Pain was about to kill Naruto she stepped in between the fight to protect him even though she knew she would get killed in the process. So Hinata Huyga taught us that love is something worth fighting for and we can become stronger if we believe in ourselves and look up to someone stronger than ourselves.

12. Madara Uchiha:

Madara Uchiha was a legendary leader of the Uchiha clan. He founded Konoha alongside his rival, Hashirama Senju, with the intention of beginning an era of peace. Madara’s childhood was a product of the harsh times he lived in. Madara changed after Izuna’s (his brother) death, becoming bitter towards the Senju, particularly Hashirama since he still had a brother. Madara became pessimistic about human nature, believing the cycle of battle to be inescapable. He also came to believe that humanity and the world are incapable of changing from what they were in the past. According to him the answer to the problem was Infinite Tsukuyomi which was a genjutsu that traped the entire world in an illusion, enslaving them in a dream so that their chakra may be drawn upon. So Madara Uchiha taught us that peace is no peace without freedom.

11. Might Guy:

The story of Might Guy is the story of a loser who was rejected from the ninja academy because of his lack of skills. In the whole series Guy proves that hard-work can overcome genius. With his sheer hard-work and perseverance he becomes the world’s strongest martial artist even though he was laughed upon by the other who did not know him. So Might Guy taught us that it doesn’t matter what other people say about you, no matter what you have to believe in yourself.

10. Hashirama Senju:

Hashirama Senju was the First Hokage of Konoha. He was famous in life as the God of Shinobi for his unmatched ninja prowess. Despite that, Hashirama only wanted peace, and to that end founded Konoha with his childhood friend and rival, Madara Uchiha. Although he was not able to achieve peace during his lifetime, his legacy would live on to continue to shape the village for decades after his death. So Hashirama Senju taught us that everything that has a purpose is worth protecting – even the smallest things make a difference.

9. Sai:

Sai was an Anbu from Danzō Shimura’s group: Root. As per standard Root training, Sai was conditioned to remove all emotions and as such, has difficulty connecting with others. When he is added to Team Kakashi as a replacement for the rogue Sasuke Uchiha, Sai begins to learn more about people’s feelings and tries to develop his personality and identity by forming genuine bonds and rediscovering the emotions he was taught to suppress. So Sai taught us that life without feelings isn’t worthwhile.

8. Nagato Uzumaki a.k.a. Pain:

Nagato was a shinobi of Amegakure and descendant of the Uzumaki clan. Forming Akatsuki alongside his friends (and fellow war orphans) Yahiko and Konan, Nagato dreamed of bringing peace to the violent shinobi world. However, following Yahiko’s death, Nagato adopted the alias of Pain and, along with Konan, began leading a new Akatsuki; one that would force the world into peace using any means necessary. So Nagato Uzumaki taught us that revenge and hatred only lead to more revenge and hatred.

One of my favourite quote of Pain is…

Sometimes you must hurt in order to know, fall in order to grow, lose in order to gain because life’s greatest lessons are learned through pain.

The intricacy in the meaning of the statement can be correlated to everyone’s life as I am pretty sure everyone of us have grown into a more mature being after facing some sort of pain.

7. Gaara:

Gaara is a shinobi of Sunagakure. He was made the jinchūriki of the One-Tailed Shukaku before he was born, causing the villagers of Suna to fear him as a monster. With nobody to connect to, Gaara grew up hating the world and looking out only for himself, justifying his own existence by killing anyone he came across. After being defeated in battle by Naruto Uzumaki — a jinchūriki like himself who found strength in his friendships — Gaara starts emulating Naruto. He becomes Suna’s Fifth Kazekage so that he can protect the village and all those who live there, in the process dispelling the villagers’ and the rest of the world’s fears of him. So Gaara taught us that how painful loneliness is and how love can change someone.

6. Neji Hyūga:

Neji Hyūga was a member of Konohagakure’s Hyūga clan. Though a prodigy even by the Hyūga’s standards, Neji was a member of the clan’s Branch House; no matter how skilled he became, he would always be in service to the Hyūga’s Main House, a fact that convinced him fate was predetermined. After experiencing Naruto Uzumaki’s refusal to be limited by such an ideology, Neji realised his fate was what he chose it to be, and as a member of Team Guy he sought the strength necessary to make the future he wanted for his family and friends. So Neji taught us that if we leave our pride behind, we can change our destiny.

5. Jiraiya:

Jiraiya was one of Konoha’s Sannin. Famed as a hermit and pervert of stupendous skill, Jiraiya travelled the world in search of knowledge that would help his friends, the various novels he wrote, and, posthumously, the world in its entirety – knowledge that would be passed on to his godson and final student, Naruto Uzumaki. So Jiraiya taight us that we must never give up our faith in humanity and our hope of peace.

4. Rock Lee:

Rock Lee lacks certain skills typically associated with life as a ninja, Lee seeks to make up for his shortcomings in whatever way he can. During his time in the Academy, Lee proved to have no talent for ninjutsu and genjutsu. When he was mocked by his peers because of this, Lee persevered, focusing on taijutsu. After he succeeded in graduating he was added to Team Guy along with Neji Hyūga and Tenten. During the team’s first meeting, Lee vowed to become a powerful ninja without using ninjutsu or genjutsu. Neji laughed at him, but their sensei, Might Guy, took a special interest in Lee. Later Lee not only gained the respect of his rival Neji but also of all the other people who used to laugh on him. So Rock Lee taught us that sheer hard work beats talent.

3. Obito Uchiha:

Obito Uchiha was a member of Konoha’s Uchiha clan. He was believed to have died during the Third Shinobi World War, his only surviving legacy being the Sharingan he gave to his team-mate, Kakashi Hatake. In truth, Obito was saved from death and trained by Madara Uchiha, but the events of the war left Obito disillusioned with reality, and he inherited Madara’s plan to create an ideal world. Resurfacing under the names of Tobi and Madara Uchiha himself, Obito subtly took control of the Akatsuki, using them as a means to advance his machinations, eventually going public and starting the Fourth Shinobi World War. However, towards the war’s conclusion, Obito had a change of heart and, as atonement, sacrificed his life to save the same world he sought to replace. So Obito Uchiha taught us that it is never too late to revert to the right way.

2. Sauske Uchiha:

Sasuke Uchiha is one of the last surviving members of Konoha’s Uchiha clan. After his older brother, Itachi, slaughtered their clan, Sasuke made it his mission in life to avenge them. He is added to Team 7 upon becoming a ninja and, through competition with his rival and best friend, Naruto Uzumaki, Sasuke starts developing his skills. Dissatisfied with his progress, he defects from Konoha so that he can acquire the strength needed to have his revenge. His years of seeking vengeance become increasingly demanding and irrational and isolates him from others, leading him to become an international criminal. After proving instrumental in ending the Fourth Shinobi World War and being redeemed by Naruto, Sasuke decides to return to Konoha and dedicates his life to helping protect the village and its inhabitants. So Sauske Uchiha taught us that one needs to keep the pursuit of your true purpose ON till you find a convincing one and other thing he taught us is that revenge is never the answer.

1. Naruto Uzumaki:

Naruto Uzumaki is a shinobi of Konoha. He became the jinchūriki of the Nine-Tails on the day of his birth — a fate that caused him to be ostracised by most of Konoha throughout his childhood. After joining Team Kakashi, Naruto worked hard to gain the village’s acknowledgement all the while chasing his dream to become Hokage. In the following years, through many hardships and ordeals, he became a capable ninja regarded as a hero both by the villagers, and soon after, the rest of the world, becoming known as the Hero of the Hidden Leaf. He soon proved to be one of the main factors in winning the Fourth Shinobi World War, leading him to achieve his dream and become the village’s Seventh Hokage. So Naruto Uzumaki taught us a lot. But the most important thing is: No matter what happens in your life……Never Give Up!

His one of the famous and my all time favourite quote is…

If you want to achieve something in life, people will laugh at you, despise you, make fun of you, but if you don’t give up you will achieve that dream one day and you will be loved eventually.

Happy Reading!

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