Naruto is one of the greatest anime to be ever made. Masashi Kishimoto created a generational fiction that would pave the road for the manga and anime industry towards a path of glory. The journey of Naruto Uzumaki becoming the Hokage after being rejected by the entire Hidden Leaf Village is a must-watch for all.
But even one of the Big Three of anime has a bad reputation for having several filler episodes. Most of the time, these filler episodes turned out to be filler arcs, which angered the fans. Out of the Big Three, it is the one with the most fillers. But a few of the fillers add weight to the characters and are fun to watch. Let us see five of the Naruto fillers that have had a massive impact on a character’s development.
5. Gaara Asking For Aid
Gaara was one of the antagonists in the initial phase of Naruto, but after experiencing defeat at the hands of the protagonist, he started to go down the path of good. He helped the Hidden Leaf during the Sasuke Retrieval arc. Later, he asked the village for aid when his student, Matsuri, was kidnapped. The Sunagakure Support Mission ran from episodes 216 to 220 of Naruto.
It was revealed during this time that Gaara was teaching Matsuri how to improve her defense since she was reluctant to learn offence. Naruto and his team prevented a disaster from happening and saved Matsuri.
4. Neji’s Love For Hinata
Neji Hyuga was born in the branched family of the Hyuga clan and developed hatred towards his cousin, Hinata Hyuga, who was born in the main family. But after his loss against Naruto, he changed completely. He started to care for Hinata. The Heart’s Eye filler was the 306th episode of Naruto Shippuden.
The episode featured Hinata saving Neji from the White Zetsu army as a thank-you for trying hard to retrieve an eyesight-healing plant. Naruto and Sakura told her while she was recovering her eyesight, Neji went in search of that plant so that Hinata could enjoy the fireworks. Even though the mission failed, Hinata appreciated his cousin’s efforts.
3. Kakashi Becomes the Captain of Team 7
Kakashi Hatake had a traumatic childhood. His father killed himself, his friend got crushed under a boulder, and he was forced to kill one of his friends. After these incidents, he joined the Anbu. But after Itachi Uchiha massacred the Uchiha clan, the Third Hokage made him the captain of Team 7 by relieving him of his Anbu duties.
It was during this time he got to know Sasuke Uchiha, Sakura Haruno, and Naruto Uzumaki. The ‘Bell Training’ was an important phase in his life as it became like a sunrise in his forever-dark life. This was shown in Naruto Shippuden episode 360, Jonin Leader.
2. Konohamaru Find’s His King
Konohamaru Sarutobi is one of the few characters who had pretty great character development. But it was in Naruto Shippuden episode 234 that he truly found his purpose. Frustrated with not getting important missions, he goes to see Shikamaru, who advises him to find his king. But a fight with Temari saw him forget about his purpose.
After Temari defeats him and badmouths Naruto, Konohamaru tries to hit her with a Rasengan, but fortunately, Shikamaru intervenes and keeps the damage to a minimum. After regaining his cool, Konohamaru understood that his king was the Hidden Leaf Village and vowed to challenge Naruto for the title of Hokage.
1. Itachi Took Over Shishui’s Will
Coup D’Etat is one of the darkest episodes in Naruto Shippuden. It showcases the Uchiha clan planning a revolt against the Hidden Leaf, and Itachi and Shisui are trying to not let it happen. But before the latter could use his visual prowess, Danzo took one of his eyes.
In a desperate attempt to save the village, Shisui gives his second eye to Itachi and commits suicide. Itachi saw Shisui as a brother seeing his tragic fate unlocked his Mangekyo Sharingan. Everyone knows what happens next – The Uchiha Clan Massacre.
