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If there is one thing Naruto is known for, it is making friends with almost anyone. Friendship is one of the core values Kishimoto’s creation is based on, motivating almost all the characters in the show in some way.
Despite how important this concept is to the story, there were some examples of friendships that, realistically, should not have been introduced in the series. This article will talk about 10 of the friendships presented in Naruto that would have been better left out of the story for one reason or another.
Disclaimer: This list reflects the author’s opinion and contains spoilers.
Obito and Tobi, and 9 other awful friendships in Naruto
1) Naruto and Sasuke
As iconic as this pair may be for the anime world, fans have to admit that their relationship was probably the most toxic one in the entire franchise. As children, Naruto and Sasuke kind of understood each other because they knew the other had lost just as much as them.
Nevertheless, after Sasuke left the village and became a rogue Shinobi, things became extremely problematic. Naruto was unable to accept that Sasuke was not the same person he was friends with, while the Uchiha acted like Naruto was nothing more than an annoyance.
If Naruto had accepted that Sasuke was gone for good, many problems could have been avoided in the series. Naruto should have realized that Sasuke did not want to be his friend anymore and respected his choice.
2) Sasuke and Taka
Fans of the series have no doubt in their minds that Sasuke was a horrible friend for most of the series. Sasuke’s worst crimes, when talking about friendship, were committed against the other members of his short-lived group Taka.
The Uchiha treated them like friends and comrades for a few days before deciding that they were nothing more than tools for him to use. He started to see them as weak and treated them like burdens. At the very least, Karin would have been better off without knowing Sasuke.
3) Danzo and Hiruzen
While it is true that friends are supposed to be there to support one another in their endeavors, certain limits should be established. The only person in the show who seemed unaware of this was Hiruzen Sarutobi.
His old friend and rival Danzo Shimura tried more than once to take power away from him, going as far as to attempt to kill Hiruzen. After so many years of knowing Danzo and how cruel he could be, it made little sense for Hiruzen to still have considered him a friend.
4) Obito and Tobi
After being kidnapped by Madara, Obito found himself trapped underground without any way of escaping. The only being that treated him with basic respect was the white Zetsu, Tobi.
Tobi may have been cheerful and somewhat supportive of Obito, but he was still one of his captors. Obito basically allowed himself to form a friendship with the person who was preventing him from returning to his home. Obito even allowed Tobi to take him to the place Madara anticipated Kakashi would kill Rin in. He was manipulated by Madara every step of the way, even forming a fake friendship with Tobi along the way.
5) Orochimaru and his teammates
The only person arguably worse than Sasuke in the franchise, in terms of being a friend, is the snake Sanin himself, Orochimaru. Even when Orochimaru was still a child, Hiruzen detected malice and darkness in him, which should have been enough reason not to trust him completely.
Despite this, Hiruzen got attached to the Sanin, the same way Jiraiya and Tsunade did. Needless to say, they were heartbroken when Orochimaru revealed that he had only been interested in power all along and had no shared connection with his old team. Allowing his pupils to get attached to someone they knew was evil was one of Hiruzen’s biggest mistakes.
6) Naruto and Karui
After Sasuke and his group fulfilled their goal of kidnapping Bee, most Kumo Ninjas started to frantically search for their Jinchuriki. Karui arrived at the conclusion that Naruto had some information about the Uchiha and started to pummel him without hesitation.
The blond ninja never got an apology because of this, even after he was left bloodied all over. Our hero is physically unable to hold a grudge against anyone, but he still should not have become friends with a woman who attacked him without provocation.
7) Naruto and Obito
Obito was manipulated and ultimately discarded by Madara. Fans may feel sympathetic about his crimes, but they still acknowledge that he was a bad person. Yet, the person who suffered the most because of Obito, Naruto, forgave him and made a friend out of him in less than a day.
It is because of Obito that the Uzumaki’s parents died, the village hated him, and he was treated like dirt for years. Holding grudges does not go with Naruto’s character. However, forgiving the man who took everything from him was too much, even for him.
8) Gaara and Rock Lee
Lee is another character who tries to never let revenge take over him. His mind is set on becoming a great Shinobi, and he knows that revenge will only hurt his dream. This is one of his most admirable qualities, as well as one of his most nonsensical ones.
Forgiving the person who almost ruined your dreams is all well and good, but actively becoming friends with them makes no sense. Gaara tried to end Lee’s life on two separate occasions, so Lee becoming pals with the sand ninja out of nowhere was completely absurd.
9) Hashirama and Madara (Fourth Great Ninja War)
Before his death, Hashirama had to make one of the most difficult decisions a person could be presented with. He had to either let his village and dream die or kill his best friend who betrayed him and was actively threatening his dream. Hashirama obviously decided to save the innocent people of Konoha, fighting to the death with his former friend.
He was brought back to life during the Fourth Ninja War and learned that Madara was trying to take over the world once again. Hashirama, yet again, wanted to make up with his former best friend even though he knew what happened last time. Hashirama and Madara were simply not destined to be friends, no matter how many times they tried to be.
10) Kakashi and Obito (Fourth Shinobi War)
For Kakashi, there is nothing more important in life than friends and family. He learned this lesson the hard way when Obito was "killed" during a mission. After that, all the people that he cared about started to die, with some of their deaths being caused by Obito himself.
Kakashi always wished that Obito’s fate would have been different, but even that does not explain why he decided to become best friends once again with the person who caused him such sorrow. Forgiving Obito was perfectly acceptable, seeing as Kakashi would get some peace of mind from it. That said, acting like Obito never committed all the crimes he had was absolutely wrong on Kakashi’s part.
