Lessons Learned from Naruto

Lessons taught through the manga Naruto.

There are many significant messages throughout Naruto’s story, so many that it might be hard to recall all of them.

1. To never give up on your dreams or your friends

2. Train, train, train. Work, work, work.

3. Reality is equivocal; we only know what we see. Lies are easily told. What we see and hear and know may not be true when it comes to perspective of someone else.

4. Love is not just measured through words, but actions. Itachi’s words stung, but once the truth was spilled, his character took on a whole new meaning. Each time he poked Sauske, it was actually out of love and brought something new to Sauske each time, Sasuke just didn’t know.

5. Trust is built.

6. Take your promises seriously.

7. Being alone only results in struggles, pain, and misery. Befriend someone who is alone, even if they claim to be alone out of their own choice; be there for someone who needs it.

8. Don’t bear the burden all by yourself. Allow people to help you. Teams exist for a reason!

9. If you want others to believe in you, you must first believe in yourself.

10. Always remember that there are people who care about you, even if you don’t always notice it.

There are many important messages and themes throughout Naruto, the epic manga created by Masashi Kishimoto. So many that all fans have different opinions on what the greatest message is, giving lots of depth to the series. The message that made the greatest impact on me personally is Naruto’s will of love as central theme throughout the entire manga. He was tested repeatedly by members of his clan and village: being outcasted, mocked, and feared by his entire village. At least, until one teacher came along and showed him an act of kindness. That one simple act — its impact was boundless. Master Iruka showed Naruto kindness and embraced his ways, no matter how obnoxious he truly was. Then, Naruto kept the same kindness going. Their amiability is a drop into the ocean, sending ripples all around them.

There are two main sources of power in Naruto: love and hate. Coincidentally, this is also a theme many of us fight in real life. Perhaps, then, we should pay closer attention to the message Naruto is trying to state. Consider his rival, Sasuke, who has used his intense hate to fuel his demand for vengeance against his brother, Itachi. There is nothing in Sasuke’s eyes other than revenge. Similarly, Naruto also could have fallen into this trap if it had not been for Iruka’s kindness. Do you see how much of a difference that made in Naruto’s life? One small kindness changed everything for Naruto — what impact can you have on others in your life who may need this same kindness?

We all have the ability to choose who we want to be. Sasuke chose vengeance and revenge for those he loved. Just like Sasuke, Naruto lost his family too, and yet what sets Naruto and Sasuke apart is Naruto’s ability to rise above his sorrow, his anger of losing his family, and his loneliness. Naruto made the decision to choose love as his power, to appreciate his family even though they are not around anymore, and to forgive Sasuke for his mistakes. We can choose revenge, in turn also choosing hate. Or, we can choose, like Naruto, to forgive, understand, and love.

Thank you for your courage, Naruto. You may be fictional, but the messages you give certainly inspire real feelings. You make me want to choose the path of love and never look back.