Quote Originally Posted by Uchiha Barles
It's really just two specific places that Naruto made no sense whatsoever. In the Sannin fight, where he didn't die and he should have, and in the Kimimaro fight, where it made no sense whatsoever that he was so powerless against kimimaro. Those are the biggest contributors to Naruto sucking as a character. Most of everything else that wasn't filler was fine, except maybe for entire episodes of him charging in and getting pushed back. But that's a writing fault, not a character fault.
I think the sannin fight was great, Naruto went up against an obviously stronger opponent, and managed to logically shonen heart his victory.
Kabuto was even in less than perfect form, so it makes good sense. it was a battle that (should've ) established naruto as a 'grown-up'. it worked quite well, when Naruto shamed Sasuke on the rooftop battle.
then they screwed it over by making Naruo lose so badly to Kimimaru, and saved by "got out of surgery, ran all the way here' Rock lee.
and then a few unimpressive parts of Naruto2 (I'm too tired to name them all, again), and we're back at stage one, where we can't believe that Naruto can't win a fight without superchackra and itachi's oral crows.
this isn't enough for him to fight payne, and not close to what he needs to fight Sasuke.

just an assumption, correct me if you think I'm wrong.. If we made two threads, of Sasuke vs Kakashi and Naruto vs Kakashi. I think that Sasuke would get 90-10 ration, and Naruto will barely get 40-60 ratio.