Every Konoha 12 Member, Ranked by How They Treated Naruto

For most of his childhood, Naruto Uzumaki was treated like an outsider. Many people in the Hidden Leaf Village avoided him, judged him, or simply pretended he did not exist. Because of that, the way the members of the Konoha 12 treated Naruto says a lot about who they were as people.

Some only started respecting him after seeing his strength, while others believed in him long before he became a hero. Looking back at the series, here is every member of the Konoha 12 ranked by how they treated Naruto throughout his journey.

TitleAnime Release YearAnime Rating (IMDb)Where to Watch (US)

Naruto	2002	8.4 / 10	Crunchyroll and Hulu
Naruto Shippuden	2007	8.7 / 10	Crunchyroll and Hulu

11 Kiba Inuzuka Looked Down on Naruto for Years

Kiba and Naruto eventually became friends, but their relationship did not start on the best of terms. During the early part of the series, Kiba often treated Naruto like the weakest guy in their generation. He regularly made fun of him and never seemed to take him seriously.

The best example came during the Chunin Exams. Kiba walked into their fight completely confident that Naruto had no chance of beating him. Naruto’s victory shocked him and forced him to rethink his opinion. Kiba eventually respected Naruto, but it took a long time for him to get there.

10 Neji Hyuga Thought Naruto Would Never Succeed

Before their famous Chunin Exams battle, Neji saw Naruto as someone who could never change his destiny. He believed people were born into fixed roles, and Naruto looked like the perfect example of someone destined to stay a failure.

That all changed after Naruto defeated him during the Chunin exams. Their fight became one of the most important moments in the arc because it completely changed Neji’s worldview. He later fought alongside Naruto during major battles and came to respect him deeply, but his early treatment still places him near the bottom of this list.

9 Shino Aburame Respected Naruto but Was Never Close

Unlike some others, Shino never openly mocked Naruto. He usually treated him with basic respect and rarely judged him based on his reputation around the village.

The reason he ranks this low is that he was never especially close to Naruto. Throughout both Naruto and Shippuden, their friendship stayed fairly limited. Shino respected Naruto’s abilities, but he was not one of the people who played a major role in helping him through his struggles.

8 Tenten Was Nice to Naruto but Kept Her Distance

Tenten never had a reason to dislike Naruto. Whenever they interacted, she generally treated him kindly and did not join the people who looked down on him.

At the same time, she never formed a strong bond with him either. Most of their interactions happened during group missions and village events. She was friendly, but she mostly stayed on the sidelines when it came to Naruto’s personal journey.

7 Ino Yamanaka Slowly Became One of Naruto’s Supporters

Like many of Naruto’s classmates, Ino initially saw him as the loud and annoying kid who was always causing trouble. She did not have anything against him personally, but she was not exactly one of his supporters either.

As Naruto continued proving himself, her opinion changed. By the time of the Pain Assault Arc and later the Fourth Great Ninja War, Ino had complete faith in him. Her growth reflects how much Naruto changed the opinions of people around him over the years.

6 Choji Akimichi Always Treated Naruto With Kindness

Choji was never Naruto’s best friend, but he was one of the few classmates who never seemed interested in judging Naruto based on his reputation. He never seemed interested in judging Naruto based on rumors or village gossip.

That might not sound like much, but for someone like Naruto, it mattered a lot. Choji’s kindness was quiet and understated, yet it was genuine. He treated Naruto like a normal person long before many others did.

5 Rock Lee Saw Himself in Naruto From the Start

Lee understood Naruto better than most people because the two had a lot in common. Both of them were constantly underestimated and had to work much harder than others to prove themselves.

Because of that, Lee respected Naruto from the start. He was one of the few people who could see Naruto’s determination long before the rest of the village began taking him seriously.

4 Sasuke Uchiha Cared More About Naruto Than He Admitted

Sasuke spent most of the story acting as if Naruto was just a rival, but his actions often told a different story. Even in the Land of Waves Arc, he was willing to risk his life to protect Naruto from Haku.

Their relationship became complicated after Sasuke left the village, but Naruto remained one of the most important people in his life. The two fought multiple times, yet Sasuke constantly measured his own progress against Naruto. By the end of the series, it became clear that he cared far more than he ever wanted to admit.

3 Sakura Haruno Learned to Believe in Naruto

Sakura did not always treat Naruto well. During the early days of Team 7, she often ignored him, got annoyed by him, and focused almost entirely on Sasuke.

What makes her ranking so high is how much she has changed. Over time, she saw Naruto’s determination, courage, and willingness to protect others. By the Pain Arc, she openly believed that Naruto was the village’s best hope. Few characters changed the way they viewed Naruto as dramatically as Sakura did.

2 Shikamaru Nara Never Judged Naruto Like Others Did

Shikamaru stands out because he rarely treated Naruto differently from anyone else. While most people focused on Naruto’s reputation, Shikamaru simply judged him based on his actions.

As they grew older, their friendship became one of the strongest in the series. Whether it was after the Sasuke Retrieval Arc or during the war, Shikamaru consistently trusted Naruto’s judgment. By the time Naruto became Hokage, there was nobody better suited to stand beside him as an advisor and friend.

1 Hinata Hyuga Believed in Naruto From the Very Beginning

No member of the Konoha 12 supported Naruto more consistently than Hinata. Long before he became a hero, she admired his determination and courage. Even when the rest of the village saw a troublemaker, Hinata saw someone who never gave up.

That belief showed up again and again throughout the series. She cheered for him during the Chunin Exams, defended him during the Pain Assault Arc, and continued supporting him during the war. Hinata did not start believing in Naruto after he became famous. She believed in him when almost nobody else did, which is why she easily takes the top spot.

Here is a quick look at the ranking that we have discussed above –

RankCharacter

1	Hinata Hyuga
2	Shikamaru Nara
3	Sakura Haruno
4	Sasuke Uchiha
5	Rock Lee
6	Choji Akimichi
7	Ino Yamanaka
8	Tenten
9	Shino Aburame
10	Neji Hyuga
11	Kiba Inuzuka

Now the big question – After looking at the entire series, do you agree with this ranking, or do you think another member of the Konoha 12 deserves a higher spot? Share your thoughts in the comments section below.

Naruto and Naruto Shippuden are both currently available to watch on Crunchyroll.