In the Naruto series, Sakura Haruno didn’t have a strong role, and her character lacked depth as the story expanded. However, the 2013 film “Road To Ninja: Naruto the Movie” explored an alternate reality where Sakura had a more significant role. This “what if” scenario changed her background and character, showing her untapped potential.
In the original series, Sakura was initially important, but her relevance in the story decreased as it expanded. The $17 million Naruto movie creatively showed how Sakura’s narrative flaws could be fixed, giving her a more meaningful role in the series.
The movie demonstrated that a small change in her design could have made her character more useful. Sakura’s limited background, possibly due to a lack of an interesting backstory, made it hard for her to impact the plot like Naruto or Sasuke.
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“Road To Ninja: Naruto The Movie” Enhanced Sakura’s Role in The Story
The film explored a different reality where Sakura’s father became the Fourth Hokage, suggesting that early changes to her character design could have improved her presence in the series.
The movie is about Naruto and Sakura in a different world where their parents swapped roles. Naruto has the family he wants, while Sakura’s dad dies protecting the village, leaving her an orphan.
However, Sakura’s dad being Konoha’s leader reminds her that she lacks strong connections to her own story. Sakura becomes less relevant in the manga as it focuses on Naruto and Sasuke’s families.
Other characters, like Sakura’s rival Ino, have ties to Konoha, but Sakura and her family remain mysteries, not connected to the ninja world. She ends up in a big clash between powerful bloodlines without impacting it or Konoha. Even her parents in the murkily canon story show little thought about her wider role in the Naruto world.
Kizashi as a Fourth Hokage Candidate and the Impact on Sakura’s Role in the Story
Saying Kizashi should have been the Fourth Hokage might be too extreme, but considering him as a candidate could have kept Sakura important in the story. This idea would give Sakura a solid role in fights and a distinctive background without relying on complex clan histories.
In a movie, the plot of Sakura’s dad becoming the Fourth Hokage shows a common problem in Naruto and maybe in shonen anime overall – women characters are acknowledged but often overlooked, serving more as filler than essential parts of the story.
