True about the update rate, although there was two or three in quick succession a some months ago. I'd still recommend giving it another whirl if you're really looking for a good fic; some interesting/awesome things have happened in the last few updates.

 

^And that was the fic I was thinking of.

I'd say that's because their development was understated . I doubt they learned anything brand new before and after the tree walking, and would have instead focused on but improving their existing skills and learning to work together. Looking at Naruto's perfomance as a whole during the exams, I'd say he came along way from how he was during the genin test. And after that point he didn't do anything except try to learn summoning and use the Kyuubi's chakra under Jiraiya. Sakura was notably the weak link of the team and despite our opinion on the Sakura/Ino fight, their abilities would looked on favourably by the spectators.

 

It was probably individual training more than anything Kakashi taught. The increase Sasuke got before fighting Gaara was much more impressive in comparison.

 

The truth is we don't really know what sort of in depth training it takes to become a shinobi and maintain those skills, we're only ever shown snippets of it, mostly having to do with learning specific ninjutsu and much less the day to day stuff.

I believe that Kakashi did at least as much as any of the jounin in the manga did for their students - probably the same amount that Minato did for him. After all, his student Naruto moved to the front of the pack from struggling in the Academy, and Sasuke kept his top spot and probably put some distance between himself and the other rookies (excluding Naruto) in terms of skill and power.

Remember, Shikamaru had not gone through the tree walking training by the time the finals of the Chuunin Exams rolled around - something that Naruto and Sasuke had learned months before.

 

But as Sree pointed out, Kakashi only taught them the tree walking exercise because he absolutely had to if he wanted them to be able to compete in the upcoming fight. The same is true of the exam training.

I don't think you're necessarily wrong either though. I don't think he did all that less than most other jounin did for their students because I don't think in depth training is actually part of their jobs. It seems to me that the training of genin is the responsibility of that genin or their clan and the jounin is only obligated to really train them if there's a good chance that they'll die otherwise.

 

I really enjoyed Sasuke's fights vs Deidara and Itachi where there was subterfuge and strategy. Reading a dozen variations of Kakashi and Zabuza killing eachother before exploding into water/smoke isn't really scratching my itch for a story where actual strategy is used.

I'd like to read something that captures that more cunning strategic type of fight without being an absolute bore like Shikamaru.

 

Wouldnt we all buddy, wouldnt we all.

 

Divinity is really fucking awesome and fuck me if it doesn't end on the shittiest cliffhanger possible >_>

 

I agree with you there, it [Sasuke vs Deidara] was of the best fights in the series. Would have been top notch if Sasuke didn't pull a survival out of his ass. Speaking as a fan of both characters mind you.

As for fics I would like to read... tough call singling out an idea is seeming to be excruciatingly difficult. I've been in the fandom for years and have yet to come across fics that tick all the boxes and are written well.

Mildly intelligent Naruto, not a canon rehash, Evil as fuck Kyuubi (especially no 'kit'; jesus fuck...), major focus on Stealth and silent assassinations, major characters struggling to survive against characters who are clearly superior; some even dying along the way, Rookies NOT steam rolling the exams, fight scenes that are good; but not about 5000 words to describe what would realistically end up being about a minutes worth of fighting).

Of course, that only applies to fics that start from the beginning of the story...

And if it's not too much to ask; portrayals of Akatsuki members that make them feel like the deadly characters they should be.

 

This just in, all of the Akatasuki members were in fact complete monsters (with the exception of Zetsu).

Deidara: Brought the entire village of Suna to its knees. Literally the entire village was powerless to stop him from kidnapping their leader.

Hidan: Basically an unkillable god-monster who was only defeated through the forethought and tactics of one of (if not the) smartest characters in the entire series.

Kisame: Have you read the manga? The man is considered an unparalleled swordsman with the chakra capacity of a tailed beast, nevermind his chakra sucking sword, and his capacity for water techniques and his ability to use them to slow his enemies (who slowly drown, by the way) and harry them with sharks. And oh yeah, it increases his speed.

Kakuzu: I'll admit that he seems a bit weak given that basically everything he can do, Hiruzen was able to do better with no special techniques. Still the man had 4 separate vectors of attack and was able to singlehandedly produce combination attacks. And you had to kill him a few times for it to stick.

Konan: We have no idea how hard it is for her to flood an area like she did against Obito, but if it isnt very hard she is definitely to be respected. Let alone her movement and origami techniques.

Orochimaru: Needs to explanation.

Nagato: The man can level villages remotely. Remind me again why he needed the biju statue?

Sasori: Had a literally army in his pocket, held off the entire rescue force by Konoha and Suna, and by the way committed suicide. Never mind his extensive spy network.

Itachi: An untouchable monster of a ninja who only lost battles because he never took Sasuke's eyes (and the associated good guy actions) and because his body was failing him.

 

Hidan was underwhelming. He's one of those guys who are massively more dangerous if you don't have knowledge of his abilities. He was actually defeated and bailed out by Kakuzu like three times(two of those being the team's opening attack combo).

 

There's a reason he and Kakuzu were paired together. Their abilities (Kakuzu's vectors of attack, as mentioned, being able to corral them into Hidan, and Hidan being able to auto-kill anyone he gets a drop of blood off of) fed into each other. At the same time, the fact that they're both functionally immortal means you can't focus in on eliminating them one at a time - Kakuzu will just split his hearts and Hidan can just be sewn back together (a process that takes literally seconds, thanks to Kakuzu's ability).

As far as hunting single-targets (like the Jinchuuriki) go, they're a terrific team. If they can get a drop of the jinchuuriki's blood, it doesn't matter if they go all tailed beast mode like Yugito, Hidan can just voodoo stab them until they wind down.

 

Agree, Hidan is really out of place in that line-up. Take away his immortality and all you have left is someone with one technique that is kind of annoying but overall someone whose strength, speed, technique, skill and smarts are around chunin level. And to be honest, you didn't need to be a genius with an IQ of 200 to figure his shtick out. Doubt anyone here had to think hard to make the connection between consuming the blood, stepping in the circle and witnessing the transformation, especially after he yells "PREPARATIONS COMPLETE".

I found it insulting that Asuma and the others DIDN'T immediately figure it out too. So yeah, hardly that dangerous. Annoying, maybe but certainly not someone who should be in Akatsuki, really. Every other Akatsuki member (except maybe Zetsu but hey, he has something in exchange that is ridiculously useful) could take on armies and villages alone and win. Hidan has trouble fighting competent chunin on his own. Without Kakuzu he wouldn't have been a threat to Asuma's squad and to be honest, everyone would seem formidable if they were backed by Kakuzu.

edit: Their combo is quite good but it rather seems to be because Kakuzu couldn't dispose of him. He really seems to be there because it would be too hard to constantly replace Kakuzu's partner, so they gave him one he couldn't kill, no matter how subpar he was.

As to Kisame, yeah, agree to his strength but I disagree with the term "unparalleled swordsman". Whatever he is, he is no swordsman and neither is anyone else from the mist swordsmen division (maybe Zabuza but even he...). I mean, come on, their weapons are not really swords. They are just objects with neat abilities. The one weapon among them that is actually a sword is Zabuza's and even his is pushing it a little.

 

I'm really going to have to disagree. Hidan gets a bum rap in the fandom but it's really not deserved. Go read his last fight again. It starts around chapter 332. During it Hidan equals a Sharingan using Kakashi in speed and combat (335, page 03). No way is he chunin level in those things.

 

Hidan was the one attacking and failed. That means that Kakashi equaled him. Go read the end of Hidan's fight. It ends with Hidan getting trolled by Shikamaru in taijutsu. When a chuunin matches their worst combat area to your primary one and you get trolled then you deserve the scorn you get. That's like Naruto flipping one of Kurenai's genjutsu back on her like Itachi did.

I think the reason that Asuma's entire team didn't immediately figure out Hidan's jutsu is that Asuma covered the battlefield with ash right as he was completing it. That's the only thing that makes sense to me.

So yeah, Hidan can be useful as a support member but I don't see him as anything more than that. I can't seriously see him as an equal member to the others and I don't think he deserves to be called S rank.

 

Where does it say that Shikamaru's worst area is Taijustu? Honest question here because I don't remember.

 

Read the page again. They both attack each other and both fail.

 

Databook stats; it's consistently his weakest area of jutsu. Not really sure how that applies here since all I remember is Shikamaru throwing one punch for the sake of linking his shadow to Hidan, who blocked it easily but didn't expect the jutsu.

 

I see Hidan trying to jump Kakashi from behind right after he avoids Kakuzu's attack and Kakashi successfully parrying his attacks and getting away.

I'm referring to the very end of Hidan's part in the fight. Where Shikamaru gives him Kakuzu's blood instead of his own.