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One of the major aspects of Naruto’s character development that reflected adversely in his personality throughout the series was his ability to forgive his enemies and help them turn to the good side. Be it Gaara in the beginning or Obito in the end, almost all of his opponents had hurt him in some way, but Naruto had never carried any rage towards them.
This forgiveness came from the fact that Naruto was able to connect with the antagonists and relate to their past. He understood their feelings and helped them change for the better. However, there was one Naruto storyline where the protagonist could have gotten enraged and destroyed every progress he made. This was when he lost Jiraiya at the hands of Pain.
This storyline haunted Masashi Kishimoto for days, and it was so complex that even his editor asked him to ignore it and move forward. But if Kishimoto had followed his editor’s advice, fans would have lost a major turning point in the series’ history.
Naruto Understood The Feeling of Revenge
In 2018, Kishimoto gave an interview, where he explained the difference in ideologies between Sasuke and Naruto (posted byu/lpopo4lyfeon Reddit) because of their experiences. He also talked about how when Naruto experienced a similar instance for the first time, it became one of the most difficult storylines for him.
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Kishimoto stated:
Sasuke had his family killed, so he has revenge in his heart. But Naruto didn’t have that experience. There’s nothing that someone not in the same position can say that’s convincing. The things Naruto said just didn’t ring true to Sasuke.
But later, when Naruto lost Jiraiya, a father-like figure to him, he understood Sasuke’s position for the first time. From there, what would Naruto do…? He had to go on experiencing what hatred is for the first time.
Naruto’s specialty was that he always remained positive despite facing the worst situations in life. He was motivated and focused towards his goal. He never carried any kind of animosity towards others.
Thus when Naruto had his first experience of true hatred towards Pain after losing Jiraiya,Kishimoto got confusedabout what Naruto’s next action would be. He knew it was a difficult path for him as a mangaka and Naruto as a protagonist.
The Advice That Could Have Ruined Pain Arc
Further explaining the complexity of Naruto’s storyline during the Pain arc,Masashi Kishimotorevealed that his editor gave him advice about leaving it and moving forward. However, Kishimoto got obsessed with the narrative and kept thinking about it for a long time.
He stated:
I kind of knew I had stepped into a difficult place, and my editor said to me that I maybe shouldn’t dig too deep into that. But, I wondered, if I just created a story about him going after and beating his hated opponent, what would kids think of that? I wanted to do it right.
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TheNarutomanga creator knew that he had to go through with it in the best possible way as itwould reflect majorly on Naruto’s character.If he had just followed his editor’s advice and taken the simple route of revenge, it might not have worked out for Naruto.
Instead, Kishimoto chose to develop the entire arc in the most “Naruto” way possible. He decided to make him fight the enemy, and in the end reconcile with the enemy, making him an ally of Naruto.
Narutois available to watch on Hulu.
Tarun Kohli
Senior Writer
Articles Published :2959
Tarun Kohli is the Senior Anime Writer at FandomWire, with over 2,900 published articles. He currently specializes in critiquing One Piece and other Shonen anime. A passionate fan of the genre, his love for thoughtful analysis reflects his genuine appreciation for the art of anime. His deep understanding of anime culture has earned recognition from industry figures such as Adi Shankar and the creators of Blood of Zeus.
