Board Thread:Naruto Discussions/@comment-31278419-20170331010234/@comment-30392240-20170421145056

I didn't mind the flashbacks because the memories are very interesting. For some it may seem like "Well, this is just a measure to tell the reader something about the character that they're not skilled enough to convey with them as-is" but if you look at fandoms in general, we always wonder "how did our favorite characters behave when they were kids?" because often our childhoods shape us into something completely different than from that time. Sasuke was a fairly happy child, but you wouldn't think that when we are first introduced to him. Naruto is a mischievous and shining goofball, but you wouldn't think this is all *despite* being shunned and neglected by the village.

One of my BIGGEST changes would be Sakura. She should stay but she should be more instrumental in the story. I've seen characters with personalities like her that are actually above and beyond more capable than she was at first. A character can have an annoying crush on someone but still be capable. When I think about it, though, Sakura is almost like a stand-in for us as readers --Yeah we know the world and how everything works in theory, but are any of us really "ninja material"?

Also, I think the Akatsuki members should have been around a bit longer. Some of the more interesting ones were killed off almost as soon as they were introduced (Sasori, Hidan, Kakuzu). I'll admit it would be difficult to write the story in such a way where the heroes would escape and the villains would retreat since in the case of Sasori vs Sakura and Chiyo the stakes were "Sasori must be defeated for the pain he has caused his village with his betrayal and b/c he is a threat as an Akatsuki member // Sasori wants to cut that final thread from his past + It's just business".

I don't know. There are so many things that could have been done. I really love villains that are just assholes and cause pain for the main characters but still retain some charm to them. Kishimoto did a good job in maintaining the level of entertainment we derived from Orochimaru and the Akatsuki in that regard, at least that's how I feel :X