Summary
Given how headstrong and reckless Naruto is, it’s easy to see why most people consider this character to be stupid. However, intelligence comes in all shapes and sizes, and it’s clear that Naruto’s instincts have helped him in battle more often than not.
After all, battle IQ is a huge part of what makes a shonen fighter intelligent, and Naruto exhibits this in spades. While he does boast brute strength, Naruto has shown his intelligence time and time again to take out the series’s toughest foes.
8Using The Reverse Harem Jutsu On Kaguya
One Of Naruto’s Most Unpredictable Moves That Somehow Worked
No one would’ve even tried to use a joke technique against the Mother of Chakra and one of the strongest shinobi of all time. However,Naruto is cut from a different clothand uses his Reverse Harem jutsu to successfully distract Kaguya.
This unpredictable technique catches her off-guard and lets Naruto land a solid hit. It may not be his best moment, but the fact that Naruto managed to outsmart someone as imposing as Kaguya counts for something.
7Pretending To Spoil The Plot Of The New Icha Icha Book To Kakashi
Let Naruto And Sakura Finally Win The Bell Exam
The re-do of the Bell Test is an excellent way to kickstart the events ofShippuden, with both Naruto and Sakura showing just how far they’d come. However, all their new techniques weren’t enough to grab a hold of the bells, which is why Naruto had to wrack his brain.
He knew Kakashi inside-out and used this knowledge against him by pretending to spoil the plot of the Icha Icha series, a series of adult novels written by Jiraiya that Kakashi loved. He closed his eyes and ears to avoid any spoilers, negating the power of his Sharingan and letting Sasuke and Naruto finally pass this test after the latter showed a flash of brilliance with this move.
6Letting His Hand Be Impaled By Kabuto To Hold Him In Place For The Rasengan
A Brutal Strategy That Worked
Naruto’s dogged nature makes him implement the riskiest tactics to succeed, and the fight against Kabuto is no exception. Orochimaru’s underling was smart and realized that Naruto could only hit a still target, which is what made the protagonist’s following actions so unexpected.
He let his arm get impaled by Kabuto’s kunai (a violent scene that was toned down somewhat in the anime) and held him in place as he unleashed a resounding Rasengan. It was a brutal tactic, but Naruto’s intelligence should be lauded since it ended up working out.
5Digging With His Bare Hands To Launch A Surprise Attack On Neji
Helped Naruto Get One Of His Most Important Wins
Naruto’s fight against Nejiis a battle of wills and ideologies, with the protagonist fighting against the concept of destiny as he chooses to carve his way through the ninja world on his own feet. He does this by fooling Neji into believing that one of his shadow clones was the real deal, preparing a surprise attack from below.
He dug through the ground and ambushed Neji with a powerful uppercut that took out the Hyuga clan’s genius. It was a smart moment that Naruto thought up while under major duress, serving as the first instance of his impressive battle IQ.
4Using His Shadow Clones Wisely To Fool Kakuzu
Integral To Help Him Land The Rasenshuriken
The Rasenshuriken was a technique so powerful that one look made it clear to Kakuzu that he needed to avoid this jutsu by any means necessary. This meant that Naruto had to get ingenious about how he used Shadow Clones.
By fooling Kakuzu into thinking that he kept his real body away from danger, Kakuzu was fooled and unable to defend himself as Naruto landed this attack flush. It was anamazing and cinematic momentthat cemented Naruto as one of the strongest shinobi in the series who was only going to grow stronger over time.
3Throwing Himself Using His Shadow Clones To Take Out Pain’s Final Body
An Ingenious Way To Come Out Victorious Against Nagato
Thebattle against Painis one of Naruto’s defining moments, with his Sage Mode allowing him to make quick work of most of Pain’s bodies. After going berserk, he regained his senses and decided to implement some smart tactics in his battle against the final body of Pain.
Realizing that Almighty Push worked on a timer, Naruto goaded the villain into using this technique before launching himself from a distance using his clones. This allowed him to close the distance between him and Pain in record time, unleashing one final Rasengan to end the battle for good.
2Teaming Up With Sasuke To Employ Some Fine Teamwork On Zabuza
An Epic Moment That Cemented Their Friendship And Made Kakashi Proud
It’s always great to see Naruto and Sasuke team up, and such a moment comes early on in Naruto when Kakashi is stuck in a Water Prison and needs the help of his squad. Sasuke uses the Shadow Shuriken technique and forces Zabuza to dodge a second Fuma Shuriken after grabbing the first.
He’s mid-jump when the second shuriken transforms into Naruto, who used this distraction to throw a kunai that forced Zabuza to release the Water Prison technique. Kakashi was back in the fight once again, and he had the wits of Naruto and Sasuke to thank for this.
1Naruto Picking The Perfect Moment To Unleash One Of Anime’s Finest Counters On Sasuke
Knew Exactly When Sasuke’s Sharingan Would Conk Out So That He Couldn’t Anticipate The Uppercut
Thefinal fight between Naruto and Sasukeshows how well the two rivals know each other despite being separated for so long. Sasuke breaking Naruto’s Shadow Clone hand signs multiple times is a great indication of this, but the final punch that Naruto throws in this battle cements his status as one of the smartest shinobi in the series.
He knew that Sasuke was low on chakra and couldn’t activate the Chidori and Sharingan together anymore. Pretending to be helpless, he waited for Sasuke’s chakra reserves to dwindle as he moved in for the kill with his Chidori, only for the Uchiha’s Sharingan to deactivate. As a result, he was unable to anticipate Naruto’s uppercut counterattack, which sent him flying into the cliff wall.
