The Konoha 11 have been through so much throughout the Naruto series and, as a result, they have been through many different battles. Whether it be a friendly competition, a fight to the death, or a tournament meant to test their limits, they have gone toe-to-toe with both friend and foe on countless occasions.
With so many fights under their belts, there were bound to be a few that did not quite measure up to the others. Be it because they were underwhelming, gruesome and hard to watch, or just plain disappointing, the Konoha 11 have been part of some terrible fights.
10 The Gaara Versus Rock Lee Fight Was Amazing But Hard To Watch
One of the most iconic fights from the original Naruto series was that of the fight between Gaara of the Sand Village and Rock Lee, the Hidden Leaf’s resident taijutsu master. Both characters had been hyped up at the start of the Chunin Exams Arc, but seeing as Rock Lee had no ninjutsu or genjutsu, he was the obvious underdog.
While Rock Lee pulled out some amazing tricks from up his sleeve, he met a gruesome end that put him out of commission for a long time. So, while this was one of the best fights of the series, it ranks on this list because the ending was so hard to watch, as Rock Lee was a fan favorite.
9 Hinata Versus Neji Was Another Hard-To-Watch Beatdown
So many great fights came out of the Chunin Exam Arc. The fight between cousins Neji and Hinata Hyuga was supposed to be another great fight, but due to Neji’s fury with the Hyuga clan’s main family, it was more of a painful-to-watch pummeling of a gentle character who would not give up.
Neji’s cruelty paired with the utter hopelessness fans had at knowing Hinata could never win made fans cringe, especially when Hinata’s heart began to give out. While it was not a boring fight, it certainly was a painful one, and two see a member of the Konoha 11 almost kill another was disheartening, even if it was necessary for the character’s growth.
8 Gaara Helps Rock Lee Fight Kimimaro
This fight started out so promising with the hilarious addition of Rock Lee’s Drunken Master capabilities. Fans were stoked to see him out of the hospital and back in the fray, but of course, Rock Lee can never win. So, when Kimimaro is about to defeat Rock Lee, Gaara swoops in to save the day and make amends for his past crimes.
In the end, the two of them together could barely keep up with Kimimaro, and though they had the upper hand toward the end, Kimimaro almost got the last laugh when he succumbed to his illness. It felt light a copout to have him die this way.
7 The Sakura Versus Ino Fight Should Have Ended More Decisively
Another super disappointing moment in the Chunin Exams is when Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka, friends-turned-rivals, tied in the preliminaries, thus kicking them both out of the competition. Not only did it undermine the impact of their growth and development, but it also felt like a copout.
The chances of them both going unconscious at the same time felt forced, and the consistent effort to write Sakura and Ino out of important moments has not gone unnoticed by many fans who critique Sakura’s treatment throughout the franchise.
6 The Kiba Versus Sakon & Ukon Fight Was Too Drawn Out & No One Wanted To See A Puppy Get Hurt
As Kiba Inuzuka desperately tries to wade down a river, the injured Akamaru in hand, it was hard for fans to watch the level of desperation Kiba felt trying to save his beloved puppy. Animal cruelty aside, the fight between Sakon, Ukon, and Kiba had already been frustrating enough.
Sakon was too strong and creepy. Kiba was too weak. So, when Kankuro steps in, fans breathe a sigh of relief, not only because Akamaru and Kiba will be okay, but also because the fight was finally getting good. Unfortunately, Kankuro makes quick work of Sakon in a way that feels a bit like a deus ex machina.
5 No One Wanted To See Naruto Win That Way
Naruto Uzumaki boasted about having a secret final move tucked away during his fight with Kiba Inuzuka during the Chunin Exams preliminaries. However, no one (likely including Naruto) expected that it would be passing gas. The fight until that point had been anti-climactic.
Sure, Naruto showed some promise when dealing with Akamaru’s transformation into Kiba, but it was not enough to secure the win. When passing gas was revealed to be enough to throw off Kiba’s sense of smell and lead Naruto to victory, it was funny but underwhelming. Fans wanted to see Naruto bring out that red-chakra power to no avail.
4 Sakura & Rock Lee Should Have Been Enough To Handle The Sound Ninja
Sure, Dosu had been hyped up a bit as being a suspicious character with weird powers, but Rock Lee had been depicted as a master among rookies. So, why were the two so ineffective against the Sound Ninja?
Dosu’s ability to give Rock Lee vertigo was useful for a fight against a taijutsu master, but the encounter was hard to watch, as the heroes beat down and this began the streak of Rock Lee never being able to win anything despite his immense skill and strength. Furthermore, Rock Lee was able to hold his own against Gaara, who destroyed Dosu, so he should have at least been able to do a little more.
3 Choji’s Fight During The Chunin Exams Was Absurd
Choji Akimichi had so much power and his clan was known for their feats of strength; however, he was not strong enough to pass the Chunin Exams. In a fight with the Sound ninja, Dosu, he tried to use his Human Boulder technique that, at the time, was too slow and underwhelming.
Fans heavily suspected Dosu would be the victor, so watching Choji slowly roll around on the area was less inspiring and more ridiculous. In the end, Choji was defeated, and it would be a while before he really got to shine.
2 The Team Guy Versus Their Clones Fight Was Arduous
When Kakashi, Lady Chiyo, Naruto, and Sakura met Team Guy at the Akatsuki’s hideout to save Gaara, Team Guy was tasked with removing a seal that both locked the door and created Team Guy clones for them to fight.
Not only was this an arduous, multi-episode battle that did not have any special highlights and seemed to be won in a very copout way (which was simply just by doing better), it also just seemed like a dull plot device to keep Team Guy from helping Sakura and Naruto fight Deidara and Sasori.
1 The Tsunade Versus Kabuto Fight Was Almost Insulting
A fight between two of the most renowned medical ninja in the entire franchise should have been a fight to behold, but instead, it was one of the most disappointing of the series. A character spoken of as being incredibly powerful, and who had just decimated a castle with a single punch, was made useless and left to be protected by a child. This was all because Tsunade, the world’s top medical ninja, had gotten a fear of blood due to her past war trauma.
While trauma is a serious issue and not to be downplayed, it did seem a bit unrealistic for a medical ninja to have a sudden fear of blood and then just as suddenly lose it. It felt more like a way to render her inert until Naruto had to almost die for her as a point of inspiration. In the end, she did not contribute too much to the fight.
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