Naruto is one series that has grown to be one of the most popular anime in recent history. Spawning spin-offs, games, and movies alike, the manga and anime certainly did better than anyone could have predicted since its first publication in 1999.
While the manga is the source material, the anime has added many "filler arcs" to the series. While it can seem like anime watchers get the full experience and then some, there are several things that readers of the manga have above anime-only watchers.
10 The Real Reason Neji Was On The Sasuke Recovery Team: he was given a spot on the team by none other than Rock Lee
During the Sasuke retrieval arc of the series, a team was selected in order to get Sasuke back. In the anime, the selection was done relatively quickly. Tsunade assembled the team using Shikamaru and Naruto, gathering a group of genin in as fast a time as possible. The whole scene goes without a hitch as Naruto would offer Shino as a suggestion only to have Kiba say that he's on a mission with his family.
Something that only readers of the manga will know, however, is that Neji was given a spot on the team by none other than Rock Lee. During the discussion of what genin to bring, Rock Lee overheard the plans and insisted that Neji go in his stead. Rather than having a bittersweet moment where Rock Lee acknowledges his limitations due to his injury earlier on, the anime skips the scene entirely and Neji is just shoehorned in without a word.
9 Sakura Continues To Be Borderline Useless
The anime gives Sakura a handful of moments where she shows her strengths. In Naruto, it's common knowledge that Sakura follows a pattern that ultimately leads to her having to be rescued in some way in every arc. There is, however, a moment towards the end of the series where Sakura escapes from the Ten-Tails' massive rampage.
Moments like these in the anime show that Sakura is courageous, strong, and can hold her own while protecting others. If fans read the manga, however, Kakashi rescues Sakura, leaving no growth for her character whatsoever. The anime may have tried to give Sakura some much-needed development, but manga readers will know that even towards the end, she falls victim to this awful trope.
8 There Was Only One Centipede
In Naruto Shippuden episode 157, the assault on Konoha had several things spawn out from the Animal Path. In the anime, three separate centipedes came out and were dealt with one at a time. Sakura defeated one on her own, followed by the other one being killed by Shikamaru.
The third centipede's fate still remains a mystery however due to it never being shown again after being summoned. In the manga, however, only one centipede was summoned during this time. Making that entire loose end nothing to sweat at for the manga readers because yes, Sakura defeated it in that version too.
7 Sasuke's Got Anger Issues
Sasuke has always been classed as a loner. Edgy, combative at times, and almost stoic in most situations. Throughout his character development through the series, he continues to carry those traits to an almost new level. There are many changes in the anime that depict this and hammer in his overall detachment from everything in his life. The manga illustrates this as well while leaning more heavily on displaying his temper.
Even while explaining his feelings about the Hokage in episode 476, Sasuke crushes a floating leaf to resemble what he really thinks of The Leaf Village. Sasuke's interactions with Danzō Shimura are especially violent as well. When Shimura badmouths Itachi in front of Sasuke, Sasuke ends up chopping his arm clean off. In the anime, not only was the scene censored, but it was Garuda that ended up punishing Shimura.
6 Neji Had To Share The Spotlight: In the manga, it was Neji's funeral that everyone was shown to attend
After the war, a grand funeral was held for all the casualties. Even Shikaku and Inoichi's graves were seen as well. In the manga, it was Neji's funeral that everyone was shown to attend. This may seem like it was done to show respect for everyone that died during the war, but it does sting a bit that the manga implied there to be several funerals only for the anime to clump them all together.
It's just one of those things that the manga did better, handling the personal grief that one single death caused and implying that that grief had to be experienced a dozen more times.
5 The Complete Ending: there is an entire chapter's worth of content that anime watchers will never see in full
The last chapter of Naruto was only loosely adapted in Boruto, and even then it was a loose interpretation. Without going into the full synopsis of the chapter, the anime mainly follows Boruto in his attempt to graffiti the Hokage Rock.
There are even slight changes with the Naruto meeting that takes place at the same time. This is a massive advantage to people who read the manga as there is an entire chapter's worth of content that anime watchers will never see in full.
4 Ino & Temari Are Terrifying
Boruto does a lot of retconning, but there are a number of changes between the manga and the anime. One such change occurs during the Chunin Exams from episode 53. Shikadai and Inojin hesitate in participating, only to settle on taking the exams anyway.
In the manga, the main reason Shikadai and Inojin decided to participate was that Moegi gave them each a letter from their mothers. The sheer intimidating force from their letters shot them straight in line to partake in their exams.
3 Konohamaru Developed His Own Technique
Naruto's Sexy Jutsu is a staple of the series and is Naruto's own made-up technique. When Konohamaru and Naruto met, one of the first techniques Naruto taught him was his Sexy Jutsu. Years later, Konohamaru developed a similar technique with a unique twist.
Viewers would never know it if they were anime-only watchers though, as it's only shown in the manga. Konohamaru's first and only time showing the technique had him using genjutsu to create the illusion of Sai and Sasuke in a very scandalous and lewd position. If fans try looking for it in the English manga, only the silhouette can be found, but the Japanese manga has a completely uncensored version.
2 Tenten & Temari's Fight Wasn't Worth Seeing
The quick Tenten matchup that took a few seconds of Temari's time was fully shown in the anime, but is not at all shown in the manga. Tenten doesn't have a lot of screen time in the Naruto series, and when she does it's usually nothing extraordinary.
The anime version of the scene during the exams wastes precious time for an episode's run time, whereas the manga decided to give the readers some shielding from Tenten's almost instant defeat. The conversation between Ino and Sakura that occurred earlier in the same episode is reserved for the fight during the manga. It focuses on the argument and skips the fight scene entirely.
1 Haku's Clan Name: Haku was part of the Yuki clan, from the Land of Water
Fan-favorite character Haku has a tragic story that is explored in the anime with some changes from the source material. While the exposition is done the same, the details are further obscured in the anime for reasons not known.
Haku was part of the Yuki clan, from the Land of Water. Both the anime and the manga reference Haku's persecution, but only the manga reveals the name of the clan. Haku was persecuted for their kekkai genkai technique but because the anime never references the clan's persecution, the similarities between the Yuki clan and the Uchiha clan were never made.
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