Summary
While the Naruto series explores various themes such as friendship and discrimination, adding depth to the characters and plot, the series lacks traditional justice. Many infamous villains, including Orochimaru and Kabuto, were never held accountable for their dastardly actions and were later fully pardoned. The murder of the Sasuke clan, orchestrated by the elders of Konoha, was a genocide, but those who ordered the massacre were not punished.
What sets Naruto What sets the franchise apart is that, despite being a film set in a fantasy ninja world, the themes it tackles are rooted in the real world. In one particular respect, however, the series failed to deliver, and the world it created was fundamentally broken and unjust.
Naruto explores many themes such as friendship with Naruto’s undying devotion to Sasuke, discrimination with Gaara being isolated due to having a Tailed Beast in him, hard work and many more. The show combines these themes very well and adds depth to all the characters and storylines. However, when considering justice in the traditional sense, Kishimoto’s story includes many examples where this is omitted to advance the story.
Justice does not exist in Naruto
There are quite a few cases where justice in the Naruto world is simply not served. Many people have lost their lives due to the actions of one or more villains, and none of them have been brought to justice. The most infamous example is Orochimaru. Orochimaru is the first main antagonist in the film. He was originally a hero of Konoha and was nicknamed the “Legendary Sannin” along with Jiraiya and Tsunade. His thirst for knowledge is one of his redeeming qualities and has propelled him to the top of the ninja hierarchy. However, it all went downhill when his search for knowledge became insatiable and he learned forbidden techniques.
Since the beginning of the series, Orochimaru has committed countless despicable acts. He experimented on humans, sometimes children, and eliminated them as he saw fit. He attacked Konoha, killing many ninjas and even the Third Hokage. His actions could only be considered war crimes, but not only did he never face consequences, he was eventually granted a full pardon. Orochimaru even attended Naruto’s wedding as if nothing had ever happened, sitting near the families of the shinobi he had killed. Orochimaru helped Konoha, applying his knowledge for good, but that could not erase his crimes.
Like his master Orochimaru, Kabuto is also a cruel villain. He followed in his teacher’s footsteps and also conducted experiments on humans. However, his crimes are much greater than Orochimaru’s. He revived many dead ninjas and controlled them to fight towards Obito. It wouldn’t be an exaggeration to say that without Kabuto’s soldiers, the war would not have been as brutal as it was and would have been easily won. He was also pardoned and given a reprieve to reintegrate into society despite everything he had done. All those whose lives he was responsible for never got justice.
The Uchi clan’s murder was the worst act of injustice
Besides these two obvious cases, there are other cases where the lines of justice and injustice are blurred. Thinking about destroying the Uchi clan. The case of Itachi Sasuke and the murder of his clansman is one of the most complex topics in anime. There are many justifications for his actions but at the end of the day, what he committed was genocide and there is no way to justify it. However, he is hailed as a hero for putting the village above his clan. He killed many innocent civilians who had nothing to do with the village’s politics but it was all covered up.
If Itachi’s actions were to be justified and pardoned then the blame must at least lie with the Konoha elders who ordered the massacre, Koharu Utatane, Homura Mitokado and Danzo Shimura. As advisors to the Hokage and members of the Konoha Clan, they learned of the Uchi clan’s situation and ordered Itachi to kill all members of the Uchiha clan. They tried to justify this by saying it was to maintain peace for the village and its people. However, the Uchi clan are also citizens of the village. Because of their actions, many innocent villagers died under the guise of peace. While Danzo was rescued by Sasuke, Koharu and Homura never had to pay for their crimes.
The heroes of Konoha have a troubled past
Even the Third Hokage Hiruzen Sarutobi, though hailed as a hero, had a meager record. He did not directly participate in the genocide of the Uchi clan, but he was still able to prevent it. He knew of the growing tension between Konoha and the Sasuke clan, the culmination of years of discrimination begun by master Tobirama, the Second Hokage, who had banished the Sasuke clan to the outskirts of village. Hiruzen had the power to prevent discrimination and then find a peaceful solution to the Sasuke clan’s coup, but he left his advisors free to carry out their plans and ordered the massacre.
To make matters worse, Sarutobi made some questionable decisions regarding Naruto. When Kushina and Minato were dying, they entrusted Naruto to the Third Hokage, hoping their son would have a happy childhood. That’s far from what happened. Naruto didn’t have anyone growing up. Hiruzen only stopped by occasionally to give him money to sustain himself. In addition, he never interacted with the boy and let him grow up alone. Even worse, he had stood by and watched as Naruto was shunned by the entire village because of something beyond his control. He could have been a caring grandfather to the boy, but he chose not to. However, Sarutobi is still remembered as one of the greatest heroes in Konoha history.
The world of Naruto teaches viewers many good lessons about life. From working hard for your dreams to being considerate of how you treat others, the series does a great job of educating people on how to navigate life. However, Naruto also has shortcomings like many other series. The way the show deals with justice is far from perfect. In a way, it mimics real life in that Orochimaru being pardoned for his knowledge is reminiscent of Nazi scientists being recruited after the war for their knowledge. Many villains or characters who commit serious crimes are redeemed or left without receiving justice Narutodemonstrating that the world of the series is fundamentally broken.
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