Naruto was one of the most popular anime to date because of the strong ninja at its core, the powerful Team 7. Fans flocked to the fascinating dynamics between Sasuke Uchiha, Naruto Uzumaki, Sakura Hurano, and even their oddball teacher, Kakashi Hatake. The show may have its criticisms, but the characters at its center are anime classics.

Throughout the series, the team learns to become stronger, feels the growing pains of relationships and age, and face the end of the world. They truly go through the worst together. No matter one's opinion on these characters, they have gone to the darkest parts of themselves and come back on the other side. It's a wonder they all made it out together. In the sequel series, Boruto, the three are now adults, parents, and vital members of their community. The journey never would have been the same without their time as Team 7, though.

However, not everything about Team 7 is a grand journey of strength and growth. Some parts are very dark, and some parts are wrong. After all, nothing's perfect, and these ninja are no exception. Their lives had more problems than they should have had to face.

With that said, here are the 20 Things Wrong With Team 7 That Everyone Chooses To Ignore.

Naruto's Terrible Friendship Decisions

As the series progresses, Naruto's Team 7 comrades, Sakura and Sasuke, become his best friends. He goes above and beyond to protect, support, and care for them. However, Naruto doesn't make the best decisions on setting boundaries. Both of his friends take advantage of his affections in unhealthy, damaging ways.

Sakura openly uses Naruto for dates and more romantic activities, just because she knows he'll do it and it'll make her feel better about Sasuke. Meanwhile, Sasuke betrays Konoha and uses Naruto's unyielding dedication to him to ensure attempts on his life don't succeed. Though Naruto is a lonely, outcast orphan, it doesn't make his friends walking all over him right. He can be annoying, but he deserves better than how Sakura and Sasuke treat him.

Ignoring Sakura To Focus On The Boys

The point of a ninja team is so that young shinobi can learn cooperation while encouraging one another to be better fighters. However, very quickly Team 7 focuses entirely on the growth and character development of Sasuke and Naruto. Though Sakura is said to be a great student, she quickly falls behind the others. There are a few times her lag is acknowledged, but not enough is done about it.

In a world where every shinobi counts, it's wrong for these two boys to take center stage and force Sakura to take a back seat to her own ninja experience. She may not be a fan favorite, but she could have been if only she had more time put into her becoming a well-rounded, complex ninja.

The Land Of Waves Mission Was Too Dangerous For Them

When genin first start out, they almost exclusively do D or C-Rank missions. After Naruto begs for something more interesting than walking dogs or finding cats, they are assigned on a simple escort mission.

Almost minutes from walking out the gate, it becomes clear it's not a C-Rank at all when other ninja attack the party. This Land of Waves missions eventually becomes a defining part of Naruto and Sasuke becoming stronger genin, but it was objectively irresponsible to take them on it. It was clearly more of a B-Rank or higher. The second things went sideways, Kakashi should have taken them back and gotten a better-suited team. Instead, he wrongly and needlessly risked the lives of three young ninja.

Sasuke's Lack Of Guidance

Sasuke needed a lot more help than he got. After losing his entire clan, not only was he left alone to fend for himself, but he also never got any support to recover from the loss. As far as anyone knows, they just let the small Uchiha figure out everything on his own. Not only is that wrong, but it's really messed up.

It's no wonder that Sasuke eventually abandoned Team 7 and tried to figure things out alone. After all, that was what he did all his life. If they really wanted to protect Sasuke from Orochimaru and make him a great ninja, more should have been done. Someone should have taken him in, or he should have had a mentor, or at least they could have protected him more once Orochimaru's eyes were on him.

Adults' Ignorance Of Naruto's Capabilities

The adult shinobi of Naruto are shown to be perceptive, powerful characters. However, many of them were completely ignorant of the power in Naruto, which is cruel and doesn't make much sense. Even if he had weak beginnings, his genetics and the tailed beast inside him were going to make him a strong ninja. The elder shinobi scoffing and calling him a terrible fighter so early were willfully incorrect.

After all of these generations, shinobi should know the difference that genetics and tailed beast influence make in power levels. They all should have expected great strength from him, at least eventually. Instead, they treated him like a dumb leper. They're lucky he didn't turn evil like Sasuke did.

They Should Have Failed The Bell Test

One of the most iconic parts of Naruto is Kakashi's bell test. The issue is, though, that the logic of the Bell Test is a little faulty. After all, Team 7 supposedly passed the test when no one else did, just by sharing food with Naruto. However, the trio was hardly cooperative and it set a false precedent for their teamwork abilities.

During the test, when working together had a benefit, they were terrible at coordinating. "After" the test, when they thought things were over, that's when they broke rules to feed Naruto. However, all that shows is that the group is willing to break rules for personal comfort and won't coordinate when it matters. That means Kakashi's bell test conclusion is very, very wrong and he puts too much faith in them afterwards because of it.

Sakura's Absentee Parents

With orphans Naruto and Sasuke spearheading the team, it's understandable why Team 7 doesn't get much parental guidance. However, Sakura does have parents. The fact that she does makes their near-total absence from the show startling. After all, it's pretty wrong for parents to be completely uninvolved in their daughter's dangerous lifestyle.

In a world of shinobi, it's understandable they wouldn't be as startled about knives and danger. However, they weren't even there for the good parts. They didn't see Sakura off for her Chunin Exams, or congratulate her for graduating Ninja Academy. Also, they didn't interfere at all with her unhealthy love for a known criminal. Sakura needed and deserved more guidance from her parents, but she didn't get it. It's tragic her teammates are orphans, but it's also tragic her parents wrongly ignore her.

Naruto's Inconsistent Fighting Ability

Coming of age sagas always have the main hero slowly grow into the person they're meant to be. Over the course of Naruto, fans watch him become the legendary hero of prophecy. However, what doesn't work is how Naruto doesn't grow gradually. He instead fish-tails from different extremes.

Naruto isn't the brightest ninja, but it's wrong and nonsensical for his skill and growth to keep hemorrhaging. One week he'll be able to take on adult shinobi, the next he won't be able to take on a weaker classmate. His power seems entirely reliant on what the story of the week needs, which is wrong and unkind to his character. The son of the fourth Hokage deserved to learn from his mistakes and successes. Instead, he takes two steps forward and two steps back all the time.

Kakashi Becoming Hokage

The Hokage is supposed to be a strong ninja, yes, but they're also supposed to be a great leader and people person. Only one of those three things describes Kakashi, the Sixth Hokage. He is powerful, but he's not the kind to be a smiling inspiration for the people or to be an organized city leader. He's just a great shinobi.

Kurenai Yuhi, for example, would have been a much better candidate. She's still strong, but she's also much more community focused and really cared for the well-being of others. Similarly, it would be like if Sasuke was chosen for Hokage instead of Naruto. He might, in certain ways, be stronger than Naruto. However, he's more of a loner and isn't as devoted to the community. It's simply wrong that Kakashi got put in a role he never was fit for.

Team 7's Inconsistent Cooperation

Team 7 was a mess, to say the least. They were a group of smart, powerful young ninja who didn't quite see eye to eye on anything. Sasuke had selfish goals, Sakura was just following tradition and trying to be a good person, and Naruto was trying to change the world and it's view of him. Sometimes, when their minds and goals aligned, they worked well together. Other times, though, their bickering and discordance caused more trouble than anything else.

However, their fiercely inconsistent cooperation shouldn't have happened. Kakashi should have encouraged teamwork, or done more to teach them that together they're strongest. Instead, whenever they did missions, he left them to themselves and sat somewhere else to lead. Without similar goals or a teacher to guide them, oftentimes Team 7 didn't fit together at all.

Sasuke Joining Orochimaru

Throughout Naruto, Sasuke is described as being a genius ninja not only because his family has innate abilities, but also because he's a natural fighter. He's clever and often figures out what's going on before others do. However, contradictory to all this characterization, Sasuke joins Orochimaru thinking that he can outsmart him if needed.

While Sasuke is intelligent, he's not cocky. As shown during the Chunin Exams, he knows when things are too dangerous. This pragmatic side of him is tossed aside, though, when he leaves Konoha. His saga on the dark side is interesting and good development, but leaving with Orochimaru simply goes against all that matter-of-fact genius he has. When it comes to Sasuke's characterization, having him stupidly put himself in Orochimaru's clutches was wrong and should have been handled far better.

Young Naruto Graduating Into A Team

The test for graduating Ninja Academy was a hard one for Naruto, as one of the tests involved creating a shadow clone. Until he stole a scroll of power, he couldn't create a working one. Once he read it, though, he could create several shadow clones. In theory, that meant he passed.

However, knowing Naruto's headstrong nature, he should have been given more time to work on his discipline and attitude. If there's any logical reason for his inconsistent power levels, it's the fact he never learned how to be a disciplined student. He only learn how to will his way into certain things, and fighting that way can be hard to replicate. It was wrong to let a kid who wasn't ready graduate. Naruto would have been upset, but with Iruka's support, he would have been a stronger ninja for it.

Repeating The Same Mistakes For Generations

By the end of Naruto, fans learn that the cycle of friends/rivals trying to destroy one another is pretty consistent in the strongest of ninja -- Hashirama and Madara, Jiraiya and Orochimaru, Kakashi and Obito, Naruto and Sasuke. The list goes even longer. Every time one turns evil and they both spend the rest of their lives battling one another.

However, the ninja world does little to discourage these childhood rivalries that turn dangerous. Teachers talk about rivalries making students stronger, but the outcomes have consistently ended poorly. Yes, stronger ninja came out of them. One of those ninja is often evil, though. It's irresponsible and wrong for the shinobi to encourage rivalries when they often end so terribly. Their students and children deserve better.

Team 7 Is Surrounded By Terrible Adults

The adults of Konoha may often be powerful ninja, but they also are terrible people. After all, they let orphans live on their own and the parents talked poorly about a certain child behind his back, treating him like a monster. The teachers didn't protect Sasuke like he deserved when Orochimaru marked him, Sakura's parents are absent in the most important parts of her young life, and they agreed to pardoning the crimes of a dangerous criminal because a young, spiky blonde boy said so. The list could go on.

Living in a village full of shinobi does complicate the matter, but it doesn't excuse all of the wrong, terrible things the adults of Konoha do. They are often powerful heroes, but they also can be cruel and judging. Luckily, by Boruto, parents seemed a bit more involved and at least they finally have an orphanage.

They're Taught Techniques Beyond Their Ninja Rank

Team 7 has strong, ambitious ninja making up its trio. All three want to learn impressive things and achieve their goals. However, their ambition and passion don't mean they should be learning difficult and dangerous abilities before they even turn thirteen.

When Sasuke is in danger of Orochimaru's agents, Kakashi doesn't give him more protection or take him under his wing. Instead, he teaches him the Chidori, a violent lightning spell, to protect himself. This ultimately backfires, of course, when Sasuke chooses to leave on his own. Similarly, Jiraiya teaches Naruto the Rasengan because he wants a move that can help him find Sasuke, take him down, and bring him home. Granted, Jiraiya didn't think Naruto could do it. However, he still complied and taught him. Both teachers were wrong to teach them things that children shouldn't be responsible for.

Sasuke and Sakura's Relationship

Sakura's girlhood crush on Sasuke was at best cute, at worst annoying. Overall, though, it made sense for a young student to like the mysterious, intelligent, attractive guy in her class. Even if her crush rubbed some the wrong way, Sasuke's complete indifference towards her advances were comical.

However, as the show progressed, Sakura's continued love for Sasuke only grew more depressing and pitiful. He began terrorizing her people and yet, even when she knew he had to be stopped, she still loved him. No one was there to tell her that that love was wrong or encourage her to put her affections towards healthier people was already bad. However, the two of them ending up together? That's just a terrible idea.

There Were Better Team Options

Team 7 was praised, from the beginning, for their strong team dynamics. However, there were much stronger team options than the ones the teachers chose. For example, however dangerous it is, if they truly believe in the strength of rivalries, Ino and Sakura should have been teamed up. The history of Shika-Ino-Cho wasn't explained until much later and it could have made both girls stronger.

Furthermore, Hinata would have been a much better third for Sasuke and Naruto. She had a calm head to counteract their passionate arguing. Also, those two need a more supportive teammate to help their highly offensive battle styles. Third, and most important, Naruto inspired Hinata greatly and teaming with him would have made her a much stronger ninja.

Konoha's Lack Of An Orphanage

In Naruto, one of the most disturbing aspects of Konaha is easily its severe lack of orphanages. In a village where parents constantly work in dangerous, life-threatening situations, a place for parent-less children to go is vital. As far as fans have seen, Konoha doesn't have an orphanage until Boruto rolls around.

Furthermore, the orphanage would have been a safer, more supportive environment for both Naruto and Sasuke to grow up in. They would have had some people supporting their childhoods, even if it was just orphanage workers. The members of Team 7 deserved a better, safer home as children. Also, both of them would have probably been much healthier if they hadn't spent all their time isolated and alone.

Kakashi's An Awful Teacher

Kakashi is a fantastic, impressive ninja who many other shinobi revere. He knows a lot about field work and battle, and is one of the few non-Uchiha ninja with a Sharingan. He deserves all the praise and awe he gets.

However, when it comes to teaching, he's not very great. He actively leaves his students to their own devices while on missions. More often than not, he chooses to read adult books instead of watching his team. Worst of all, though, he overestimates his students and puts them in far more danger than twelve-year olds should have to face. Team 7, ultimately, respects and does learn a lot from Kakashi. However, that doesn't make him any less irresponsible and unfocused. It's wrong for him to be such an absentee teacher to such powerful students.

Sasuke and Naruto Are Terrible Friends

As the seasons go on, the core of the show's conflict circles around the complicated best friendship of Sasuke and Naruto. The issue is that these two Team 7 members aren't very good friends at all. They compete, they threaten one another, they argue during dangerous dire situations, and worse. Naruto holds on dearly to the friendship, trying to save Sasuke, but he hasn't received anything good from it in years. Sasuke also has a soft spot for Naruto, in his own way, but Naruto didn't do anything but annoy him and get in his way.

Their dynamic is undoubtedly strong, since it's one of the main focal points of the story. However, their relationship isn't healthy or good for either of them. Both lonely orphans deserve better outlooks on what friendship looks like.

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Did you notice anything else wrong with Team 7 in Naruto? Tell us in the comment section!