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Naruto Adversity

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Adversity is hardship; it is the difficulties and suffering that one must overcome. Witnessing adversity through a fictional story helps viewers understand how adversity shapes identity. Naruto is originally a manga series written and illustrated by Masashi Kishimoto. It is a story about a child, Naruto, seeking recognition and respect. He dreams to become Hokage, the shinobi who is acknowledged as the strongest and leader of his village. Shinobi is ninja in japanese. He wishes for everyone to stop looking down at him, rather look up to him and respect him. Throughout the series, Naruto faces a multitude of obstacles and adversaries. Naruto is constantly knocked down, facing new foes, yet he continues to get up and he never gives up even when …show more content…

Throughout the show, Naruto faced many foes with his comrades, though he fought his own comrades at a time. Naruto’s fight against Neji Hyuga is when Naruto faced adverse odds when fighting the so-called ninja genius. Naruto was pitted against Neji during the ninja exams to analyse and grade who should move on to being a higher rank ninja. These are comrades, who are forced to fight against each other, until one either admits defeat or is beaten to unconsciousness. Neji knocks Naruto down emotionally, and then physically. Neji says, “ Only a fool tries to become something he can never be, do you think anyone can be Hokage? That all it takes is a little hard work? Open your eyes, of all the shinobi in all the world, think how you can ever be Hokage"(Kishimoto 2 25). Neji degrades Naruto, and taunts him that he will never become Hokage. Naruto gets angry and will not accept it. During that fight, Naruto comes out victorious, showing up the ninja genius. Neji being a fellow ninja of the same village is not an enemy but rather a peer, and opponent. Naruto faced him, and came out victorious, and later continuing on his same path. Neji shaped Naruto’s identity in a way that he is an obstacle, and Naruto would go over him, and through that constructing his identity of spirit and never giving up even when odds are against him. Out of Naruto’s may comrades, Gaara is a boy not originating from the same village, yet leads a similar life to Naruto. They both host a demon inside of their bodies, and both grew up with no parents. Gaara and Naruto faced an adversity that was beyond their power. Yet, since Gaara was there, Naruto did not leave him, rather stayed to protect him because that was how Naruto was. Naruto felt the need to protect Gaara because they had both suffered the same adverse conditions through childhood. Naruto says, “We aren’t all that different, we are actually

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