Questions Naruto Still Hasn't Answered for Fans (2024)

Years after its conclusion, Naruto continues to captivate fans worldwide with its rich story and compelling characters. However, amidst its exciting plotlines and epic battles, the series leaves behind a trail of unanswered questions that linger in the minds of devoted fans.

Despite the series' extensive run and numerous spin-offs, certain narrative threads remain dangling, inviting speculation and analysis. From unresolved character arcs to unexplored aspects of the ninja world's history, these lingering mysteries fuel endless speculation and debate within the fandom.

10 Naruto Is Left All Alone

Naruto’s lack of adoption or proper care following his parents' deaths is a significant plot hole in the series. Despite being the son of the Fourth Hokage, Minato Namikaze, and Kushina Uzumaki, Naruto is left to live alone with only a meager allowance from the Third Hokage. The neglect in his upbringing starkly contrasts the village's need to protect such a vital asset, as Naruto is the Jinchuuriki of the Nine-Tails. Without the guidance and care from a parental figure, Naruto’s potential descent into villainy was a significant risk, making his ultimate path as a hero appear contrived.

The absence of protective measures is also baffling, considering Obito’s known vendetta against Konoha and his previous attack during Naruto's birth. Obito’s failure to exploit Naruto’s vulnerable state for kidnapping is another oversight, further highlighting the lack of consistent protective logic within the narrative.

9 Sakura's Genjutsu Abilities Are Never Developed

Sakura's genjutsu potential was a bit of a dangling plot thread in Naruto. Kakashi and later Tsunade, acknowledged Sakura's talent for genjutsu, even suggesting it surpassed Naruto and Sasuke's. However, instead of extensively showcasing this talent, the series instead focuses heavily on developing her monstrous strength and medical ninjutsu under Tsunade. Fans only see Sakura breaking through genjutsu techniques a few times: during Iruka's test prior to the Chunin exams, during the Destruction of Konoha arc and when confronting Itachi during the Kazekage Rescue arc.

Yet, Sakura, herself, is never actually seen using genjutsu on anyone. There's no official explanation for why Sakura's genjutsu skills weren't explored further. Some fans speculate she simply chose to focus on her strengths or that the story shifted focus. Regardless, her potential as a genjutsu user remained an interesting but underdeveloped aspect of her character.

8 Rock Lee Passes the Exams With Only Taijutsu

Rock Lee's ability to pass the academy exams with just taijutsu remains a notable inconsistency. The academy curriculum typically requires proficiency in basic ninjutsu, genjutsu, and taijutsu, as demonstrated by Naruto's need to perform a basic clone jutsu to pass. However, Lee, known for his inability to perform ninjutsu or genjutsu, somehow managed to graduate. One possibility is that the exams during Lee's year differed from the standard curriculum, allowing for exceptions. But this is unlikely given the structured nature of the academy system.

Another explanation could be that Lee's exceptional talent in taijutsu impressed the examiners enough to overlook his shortcomings in other areas. Alternatively, there may have been extenuating circ*mstances or special considerations that contributed to Lee's passing. Regardless, the lack of clarification regarding Lee's academy graduation criteria raises questions about the consistency and fairness of the academy's assessment process, leaving this aspect of Lee's backstory an unanswered question in the series.

7 Naruto Is the Same Age As His Peers Despite Failing the Exam Three Times

Naruto's repeated failures in the academy exam, yet being the same age as his peers, presents a significant plot hole in Naruto. It's established at the start of the series that Naruto failed the graduation exam three times before finally passing. This implies that he either took the exam at an unusually young age or there were multiple opportunities to take the exam within the same academic year.

However, his peers, like Sasuke and Sakura, who performed better academically, did not take the exam early, suggesting a standard age or grade level for the exam. If Naruto did indeed take the exam earlier than his classmates, it raises the question of why others like Sasuke didn't do the same. This inconsistency creates confusion about the academy's exam policies and the timeline of Naruto's education. Moreover, if Naruto simply had multiple attempts within the same year, this flexibility is never clarified within the series.

The decision not to have Yamato lead Team 7 initially is perplexing given his mastery over Wood Release and ability to control the Nine-Tails' chakra. Yamato possesses formidable skills that would seemingly make him a suitable candidate for leadership. However, his introduction in the series occurs much later, in Shippuden, where he serves as a temporary replacement for Kakashi. The most likely explanation is that Masashi Kishimoto hadn't conceptualized Yamato's character until later. Naruto's control of the nine-tails didn't become a major issue until Shippuden either, but the narrative gap still remains glaring.

In-universe, it's conceivable that Kakashi's experience, leadership, and personal connection with the Team 7 members factored into the decision to have him lead the team initially. Nevertheless, the absence of Yamato's leadership in the early stages of Team 7's development leaves fans pondering the missed opportunities and untapped potential that his character could have brought to the dynamic of the group.

5 The Large Number of Shinobi in the Allied Forces Is Impossible

During the Fourth Great Ninja War, a total of 80,000 shinobi comprised the Allied Shinobi Forces. The sheer number of ninja participating created a formidable force to go up against Obito's army of revived ninja, but gathering all these shinobi is also an impossible feat. Given that each village's ninja academy graduates only a handful of genin annually, the presence of tens of thousands of shinobi from the five major villages seems inconsistent with the established graduation rates. This discrepancy raises several unanswered questions.

For one, the series never clarifies the overall population and structure of the ninja workforce within each village. Even considering the inclusion of older, retired, or reserve ninja, the numbers still appear disproportionate to the known academy output. Additionally, the series does not provide insight into the logistics of such rapid mobilization, training, and coordination of these forces, especially given the varying abilities and specialties among different villages. Moreover, the potential for significant losses over previous wars and missions further complicates the plausibility of such a large army.

4 Sunagakure Had No Leader Before Gaara Took Over

The leadership and stability of the Sunagakure during the period following the Fourth Kazekage's assassination raise significant questions. Facing bankruptcy, the Kazekage resorted to selling his gold dust to sustain the village. Orochimaru exploits this vulnerability, proposing an alliance to destroy Konoha, promising economic benefits. However, Orochimaru betrayed and killed the Kazekage, then impersonated him to lead Sunagakure into the attack. After the attack's failure, Orochimaru's deception was revealed and Sunagakure surrendered immediately. Surprisingly, they managed to survive for two years without a Kazekage before Gaara ascended.

This period leaves numerous unanswered questions as to who made critical decisions for the village during this leadership vacuum and why a new leader wasn't chosen promptly to ensure stability. Additionally, the absence of a civil war or significant power struggle during this time is puzzling, as typically, such a vacuum would invite internal conflict in a ninja village. The seamless transition to Gaara's leadership, given his troubled past, further complicates the narrative, making Sunagakure's survival and governance during this period seem implausibly smooth and leaving several plot inconsistencies.

3 The Main Family Members of the Hyuga Clan Don't Have a Curse Mark

The existence of the Cursed Seal on only the branch family members of the Hyuga clan raises several questions and appears inconsistent, especially regarding the purported goal of protecting the Byakugan. The Cursed Seal is described as a means to prevent the Byakugan from being stolen by destroying the user's eyes upon death. However, only branch family members have this seal, while main family members don't. This is problematic for several reasons.

Firstly, if the primary goal is to protect the Byakugan from being stolen, it would make sense for all Hyuga clan members, including the main family, to have this seal. Main family members are equally vulnerable to theft; the fact that Ao from Kirigakure managed to steal a Byakugan from a Hyuga member without a Cursed Seal highlights this vulnerability. Secondly, the selective application of the Cursed Seal confirms that its primary purpose is to control and subjugate the branch family rather than the protection of the Byakugan.

2 Nagato's Acquisition of the Rinnegan Is Questionable

Nagato’s acquisition of the Rinnegan is a major plot hole with several unresolved questions. Initially, it is suggested that the trauma of his parents' death triggered the activation of the Rinnegan in his eyes. However, later in the series, Obito reveals that Madara transplanted the Rinnegan into Nagato when he was a child. This raises several issues: Nagato didn't realize he suddenly had someone else's eyes and there was no recovery period after receiving said eyes.

Madara's knowledge of Nagato during his resurrection also implies that Madara voluntarily gave up both his eyes while still alive, which should have been fatal at his advanced age. Additionally, if these eyes were indeed Madara’s, they should have had the capabilities of the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, but Nagato never displayed these abilities. Furthermore, the method by which Nagato’s other Pain bodies also possess the Rinnegan is never clarified. These unanswered questions create significant inconsistencies in the story’s internal logic regarding the Rinnegan's origin and mechanics.

1 No One Knows How Obito Survived

Obito Uchiha's survival after being crushed by a boulder is the most perplexing question that still plagues Naruto fans today. Initially, Obito's injuries appear fatal, with half of his body crushed. His survival is attributed to Madara finding him, which in itself raises questions about how Madara, an elderly and severely weakened man, was able to reach and rescue Obito from deep within enemy territory undetected. Madara himself doesn't even know how Obito survived before he found him.

Obito's recovery and rapid power progression also lack a detailed explanation. Despite his extensive injuries, he is not only nursed back to health but also quickly becomes proficient in advanced jutsu and combat, rivaling elite shinobi. The mechanics of his body reconstruction, supposedly involving Hashirama's cells, are vaguely defined and seem to provide an almost miraculous cure and enhancement.

Naruto

Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous adolescent ninja, struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the village's leader and strongest ninja.

Created by

Masashi Kishimoto

First TV Show

Naruto

Latest TV Show

Boruto

First Episode Air Date

September 21, 1999

Cast

Junko Takeuchi , Maile Flanagan , Noriaki Sugiyama , Yuri Lowenthal , Chie Nakamura , Kazuhiko Inoue , Dave Wittenberg

TV Show(s)

Naruto , Naruto: Shippuden

Genre

Shonen , Anime , Manga , Action-Adventure