Team 7 is at the center of the Naruto saga, but fans will be surprised to hear that the series creator had some harsh opinions about his protagonists. According to Naruto creator Masashi Kishimoto, when asked to judge Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura from Kakashi’s perspective, the trio failed to live up to his standards.
In 2002, Shōnen Jump (US) interviewed Kishimoto in an effort to give American fans of the ninja battle series a chance to get to know more about the creator. Indeed, it was one of the first times Kishimoto was able to speak directly to his American fans and Shōnen Jump (US) did not waste the chance to ask Kishimoto’s opinions on a range of Naruto-related topics.
As part of the interview, which was reposted by NarutoHQ, Kishimoto was asked to put on his Kakashi cap and answer questions as if he were the fan-favorite shinobi, and future Sixth Hokage. It was here that Kishimoto-as-Kakashi revealed what he truly thought of the members of Team 7. While he doesn’t exactly flame them, he does paint a rather negative image of the three.
Kakashi’s Unvarnished Evaluation Of Team 7 Hurts, But It’s Also True
The answers were of course half-serious, but as Kishimoto was asked to identify with Kakashi, and as he took some time to think before each answer (according to the transcript), this still provides an interesting insight into the mind of Naruto‘s creator. Based on that “what if” conversation, it’s clear that while Kakashi appreciated the qualities of his students, he also discovered that each member of Team 7 harbored traits that threatened to derail the realization of their true potential.
While Kishimoto-Kakashi says that Naruto is very active and “always does his best”, he also calls him outright stupid and unable to teach others. Sasuke is an “elite ninja”, but he’s also “rather sloppy” and “rarely turns out to be useful”. Sakura has good memory and is also “the closest to being normal”, but she “has flaws in her personality, like stalking Sasuke”, a pretty serious accusation. Kishimoto even goes to say that, as Kakashi, he is outright disappointed in his students.
Having Flawed Protagonists Helped Naruto To Become Successful
While Kakashi’s evaluation of Team 7 seems quite harsh, it nevertheless conforms with all that is known about Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura at that point in their lives and training. This is the group that famously began their relationship with Kakashi with Naruto pranking him on the first day of class and Sasuke and Sakura going along with him. However, as the three progressed, Kakashi also saw them get rid of their issues (for the most part) and nurture their strength, growing into three legendary ninja.
Kakashi-Kishimoto’s early evaluation of Team 7 might be hard to hear, but it also highlights what made the series so compelling. The protagonists all had flaws, as this interview perfectly showed, but this only made them more relatable to fans, who could keep watching their progress as human beings. Perhaps, considering his role as mentor, Kakakshi is really the perfect stand-in for Naruto‘s creator, as Kishimoto also nurtured the members of Team 7 and let them reach their full potential.
Naruto is available from Viz Media and MANGA Plus.
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