Board Thread:Wiki Discussions/@comment-25358381-20140918020735

I was questioning the rate of improvement of ninjas, and when Naruto/Sasuke would be at their 'prime age' as a ninja. In real life, sports athletes are generally in their prime between 26-29 where their bodies and experience both combine.

1.Hiruzen Sarutobi originally retired somewhere around the age of 50-55, so I believe that ninja would probably would have already started their decline in power around this age.

2. While Hiruzen was 68-69 in age, Orochimaru commented on how Hiruzen was a lot weaker then he use to be. Orochimaru said however, that even Hiruzen 10 years younger would have probably been able to defeat him.

3. Orochimaru started his immortality just around 40-50, so he probably felt that he was declining (or about to decline around this age).

4. Sasuke, Naruto and most of the akatsuki (most of the strongest people in the anime) are between late teens to their twenties (except immortal people). So I believe that ninja are probably going to reach their prime as they are reaching thirty to forties as this seems to be the ninja balance between body and learning ninjutsu. 