I hate to admit, but Naruto and Sasuke's friendship didn't seem genuine enough

For all its anti-war messages and themes of adventure, the beauty of Naruto is in its relationships. Although romantic relationships are seldom explored in the series, the brunt of the other ones is thoroughly examined. The series starts off when most characters are children, and viewers are shown a realistic depiction of their young age.

As they grow older and experience teenage relationships, Masashi Kishimoto’s skill as a writer comes to the fore. The dynamics of the characters as teenagers are carried on amazingly, and at some points, the relationships between them are reminiscent of a seinen manga instead of the shonen that it is. However, where the series fails is in the relationship between the antagonist and protagonist.

The series tries to position its two main characters as peas in a pod, but viewers see it so far from that. The relationship between Naruto and Sasuke feels so forced, and at various points, it doesn’t feel like they are two brotherly individuals who care about each other. Keep reading to find reasons as to why the main characters' relationship felt forced.

Disclaimer: This article reflects the author’s views and may contain spoilers from the series.

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Why the relationship between Naruto and Sasuke felt forced

One of the main characters' first battles (Image via Studio Pierrot)

The beginning of the series has the Uzumaki and Sasuke hating each other. The protagonist dislikes Sasuke for his prodigious status as well as how he is constantly the center of female attention without even trying. He also hates Sasuke for getting Sakura’s attention.

Sasuke, on the other hand, doesn’t hate Naruto as much, but he is irritated by the latter's presence; the Uzumaki is loud, brash, and attention-seeking, and most of all untalented. The irritation reaches sky-high levels when the two ninjas are shoehorned into a team together. They hit heads with each other at every point, but eventually, they achieve a level of mutual respect.

The battle that signifies the end of Naruto (Image via Studio Pierrot)

However, mutual respect is all they achieve, and that’s why the endless lengths that the Uzumaki goes to for Sasuke do not make sense. Throughout the series, viewers are never shown a moment where the two characters truly connect. They risk their life for each other in fights, but it is not enough. There is a difference between being comrades and being friends, and the two seem like the former.

Another problem with the protagonist and Sasuke’s relationship is time; the period of Sasuke and the Uzumaki’s relationship as children is simply not enough. These characters were near each other for not even up to a year. So, when Naruto seeks out Sasuke rabidly, it makes no sense. He doesn’t even really know the person he is chasing, but he just wants him to be around.

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Final thoughts

Mangaka Kishimoto does eventually give viewers a reason for the bond between the main characters at the end of the series. The two characters are the reincarnations of brothers Indra and Asura. Despite them being reincarnations, their relationship deserved more screen time to make the chase and yearning more believable.

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