“This attack would have killed Naruto anyway”: Neji’s Ultimate Sacrifice Doesn’t Get Enough Credit When It Nearly Ended the Story Right There

SUMMARY

• Death and sacrifice holds a lot of significance in Naruto.
• However the sacrifice of Neji Hyuga is not discussed about as much as it should be.
• His sacrifice helped Naruto' story in a major way and was desperately needed.

Deaths and sacrifice have always played a crucial part in Masashi Kishimoto’s Naruto as they helped the narrative move forward and create an emotional connection with fans. From Jiraiya to Itachi Uchiha, many prominent Naruto characters have succumbed to death, and their sacrifice has been honored within the series in one way or another.

Naruto anime series | Credit: Studio Pierrot

However, there is one underrated character whose death and sacrifice didn’t receive enough credit. This character is none other than Neji Hyuga, Hinata’s brother and one of the strongest members of the Hyuga clan. Neji sacrificed himself to save Naruto and Hinata from an attack by wooden spikes during the Fourth Shinobi World War.

While there are some arguments that Naruto could have saved himself from the attack or could have used his regeneration abilities, it would not have worked as fans had hoped. There is reason to believe that Naruto could have been killed then and there, and thus, Neji’s sacrifice is justifiable and needs to be given more credit in the Naruto storyline.

Neji gave his life to save Naruto and Hinata

The Fourth Great Ninja War is probably the most crucial moment within the Narutoverse. It decided the fate of the Shinobi world and helped Naruto and his allies defeat the negative forces that were desperately trying to change everything. The main villains in this war were definitely Madara Uchiha, and Obito, and of course, the Ten Tails.

The Ten-Tails was a particularly difficult opponent, as it had the powers of the ten Jinchurikis, and its ginormous size posed a big problem for the Allied Shinobi forces. It was controlled by Madara and Obito, and when the Shinobi forces tried to attack them, they would throw huge wooden spikes toward them that would instantly kill many Shinobis.

Neji saving Naruto and Hinata | Credit: Studio Pierrot

Fighting them was incredibly hard, and at one point Naruto ran out of chakra. As Hinata and others tried to help him, the Ten-Tailed Jinchuriki launched another spike attack toward him to kill him and Hinata, but Neji jumped in between and sacrificed his life to save his sister and Naruto.

Neji’s sacrifice needs to be appreciated more

While Neji’s sacrifice was one of the many deaths during the Fourth Great Ninja War, it was certainly special. This is because it not only saved Naruto and Hinata’s lives but also saved the story from ending. Although a lot of Naruto fans believe that Naruto could have saved himself from the Ten-Tails Jinchuriki using Kurama’s chakra and his regenerative abilities, it wouldn’t have been able to protect him at the time.

Neji’s sacrifice | Credit: Studio Pierrot

Kurama and Naruto’s regenerative abilities are certainly commendable, but they could not have worked against a massive attack like the wooden spikes.

On top of that, those spikes absorbed chakra and grew inside the impaled body, making the attack even more dangerous. If they had impaled Naruto’s body, the wooden spikes would have grown inside him, killing him instantly.

Thus, it is safe to say that Neji’s sacrifice was certainly needed, and it helped in the continuation of Naruto’s journey. However, the fact that it is not valued as much as it should be is something that must be addressed. Neji’s death helped the Naruto story in a major way and thus deserves major respect.

Naruto is available to watch on Hulu.

Written by Tarun Kohli

Articles Published: 2099

Konichiwa! With a Master's Degree in Journalism and Mass Communication and a 2-year experience in Digital media writing, I am on my way to becoming one of the biggest anime content writers in my country. My passion for writing and Anime has helped me connect with Fandomwire, and share my love and experience with the world.