Hey guys, I wonder what is your top 10 Naruto Shippuden fights. I added my own opinion and motivated why I chose the respective fight.
10- Sasori vs. Sakura and Chiyo. This fight was long and full of amazing jutsu. It shaped Sakura, making her look good and cemented her image as a reliable medical-nin. Also, the combination of puppetry, Magnet Release and the 10 vs. 100 sequence made this battle highly entertaining.
9- Deidara vs. Gaara - An amazing fight that made both Deidara and Gaara look tremendous. The young Kazekage was defeated but he managed to protect his village even in defeat, which is the most important thing to do for a Kage. Also, Deidara established himself as an extremely powerful and dangerous shinobi, showing that the Akatsuki are absolutely incredible.
8- Kabuto Yakushi vs. Sasuke Uchiha and Itachi Uchiha. Itachi was a man with a mission: to end the Impure World Reincarnation. With Sasuke tagging along, he had to fight Kabuto without using lethal force and to protect his brother at the same time. Kabuto revealing that he is a Sage Mode user only made the situation even more difficult. However, Itachi did something that possibly no other shinobi would have done: he spared Kabuto, giving him a chance to redeem himself. And this decision payed off, as Kabuto later saved Sasuke's life.
7- Naruto Uzumaki vs. Kakuzu. All heroes show up late. In this case, Kakuzu would have killed Kakashi and Team Asuma if not for Naruto and Yamato's intervention. This fight was short but the Wind Release: Rasenshuriken debuted and man, what a sight to see!
6- Hidan and Kakuzu vs. Asuma Sarutobi, Shikamaru Nara, Kotetsu Hagane and Izumo Kamizuki. This fight was incredible. The taijutsu scene at the beginning was impressive. But more impressive were the abilities of the two Akatsuki members. Asuma's death at the hands of Hidan managed to instill a new sense of duty in Shikamaru: He knew he must protect the King. It was the fight that changed the perception Shikamaru had about the world.
5- Gengetsu Hozuki vs. Gaara, Onoki and the Fourth Division. Gaara is young, charismatic and fiercely loyal to his friends, but during the Fourth Shinobi World War, many were concerned about his capacities as a leader. He needed to prove to them that he is really The One and that moment came when he defeated one of the most powerful Kage in the history, Gengetsu the Second Mizukage. Not only did he seal the Mizukage but saved Onoki's life as well. Gengetsu's words to Gaara at the end of the fight only helped to put the young Kage over as a legitimate leader and a powerful warrior.
4- Jiraiya vs. Pain. Let's be honest: Jiraiya could have escaped Amegakure if he wanted. But he needed to find out the truth about Pain, a truth that Konohagakure had to know. So, he put one hell of a resistance without using his hands most of the fight. After he entered Sage Mode, he displayed a wide array of jutsu and managed to take down three of Pain's body. Even after losing one arm, Jiraiya managed to capture the Animal Path and to write a coded message for the Leaf shinobi. Mighty impressive, Ero-sennin!
3- Naruto Uzumaki vs. Pain. One of the greatest arcs in the entire history of manga had its best moment here. After losing Jiraiya, Naruto was taken to Mount Myoboku to learn Sage Mode. In the meantime, Pain attacked Konohagakure and slaughtered almost everyone in the village and, after that, destroyed the village itself with a huge Shinra Tensei. The remaining villagers needed a hero and Naruto was there. He returned from Mount Myoboku stronger, faster and prepared to fight against his worst foe to date. The fight itself was incredible and the anime made it even better. It cemented Pain's reputation as the most powerful member of the Akatsuki while making Naruto look Hokage-material. Minato Namikaze's appearance near the end of the fight was something totally unexpected, but a great addition to what I believe is one of the best fights in Naruto.
2- Sasuke Uchiha vs. Itachi Uchiha. Years in the making, slowly building up to a violent conclusion, the brothers' saga shaped the entire Naruto universe. The fight was absolutely amazing, having great ninjutsu, taijutsu and genjutsu sequences and unveiling the two combatants' ultimate jutsu: Kirin and Susanoo. Even though the latter became one of the most overused technique in Naruto, when Itachi used it during this battle, it was something special. Itachi died, succumbing to his illness and, with his death, shaped the events that followed: Sasuke's new resolve to destroy Konohagakure and even the outcome of the Fourth Shinobi World War. This fight was one of the most important ever for this series.
1- Madara Uchiha vs. The Five Kage and the Shinobi Alliance. What else could possibly trump Naruto vs. Pain and Itachi vs. Sasuke? Only a godlike shinobi with unbelievable abilities who beats the hell out of the Five Kage, who are considered the most powerful shinobi alive. With a taijutsu sequence that the anime turned into the greatest animated moment of 2013, Wood Release, Susanoo, Rinnegan and two huge METEORITES, this fight was the greatest Naruto Shippuden fight in my opinion. It cemented Madara as the ultimate badass and the desperation of the Allied Shinobi Forces only added tension to the already dire situation in the war!
