This post contains spoilers for Naruto.

Masashi Kishimoto is among the most popular manga authors of all time. As the creator of Naruto, he has earned plaudits from fans for his impressive storytelling, character designs, and world-building. Kishimoto's talent is evident from Naruto's success. After all, the Naruto manga has sold more than 100 million copies, a feat that only a handful of other series have ever matched.

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For all his positive traits, there have been a few occasions where Kishimoto's story felt weak and maybe even flawed. One such instance is the killing of Neji Hyuuga in the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Kishimoto Wasted Neji Hyuuga

naruto episode 62 naruto seemingly knocked out and Neji watching

When Neji made his debut, it looked obvious that he would end up as one of the most important characters in the story. He lit up the Chunin Exams with the combination of intelligence and ruthlessness. In fact, he seemed destined to win the competition. Even in the fight against Naruto, Neji was dominant, and he made the competitor eat dirt. The Hyuuga would have won the fight if not for Naruto's Nine-Tails.

Following the end of the Chunin Exams, Neji was involved in an amazing battle with Kidomaru of the Sound Five. Despite the difference in experience and strength, Neji bested his opponent. After this fight, Neji became a spectator for the rest of Part 1. He was promoted to the rank of Jonin sometime before Part 2 started, but even then, Kishimoto didn't involve him in too many important arcs, which was a shame.

Neji Was Ignored By Kishimoto

Neji was a prodigy of the Hyuuga Clan, and his talent shocked the members of the Main Family. They couldn't believe that someone from the Branch Family could master the Byakugan in such a short period of time. Neji also knew about the Byakugan's weakness, which prompted him to come up with a solution to overcome the problem. While Neji was disrespected by Kishimoto, fans were still content that they got to see him in action sporadically. But all of that changed when Neji was killed in the Fourth Great Ninja War.

Why Neji's Death Was Necessary To The Story

Neji was killed to improve Naruto and Hinata's relationship further
It also improved Naruto's resolve

During the Fourth Great Ninja War, Neji was fighting with the rest of the Shinobi Alliance to stop Obito from wreaking havoc, but the Uchiha was one step ahead. He managed to summon the Ten-Tails, which terrorized the ninjas. With the tailed beast free, it began assaulting the Shinobi Alliance. The Ten Tails could launch wooden projectiles, which could almost instantly kill a person.

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However, the Ten Tails' presence was enough to deter Naruto, who kept on attacking it with Rasenshuriken. Naruto's attacks were successful to some extent, but they drained his chakra and left him incapacitated momentarily. Obito and Madara knew that this could be a turning point in the war, which is why the Ten-Tails was ordered to shoot more projectiles towards Naruto Uzumaki. Hinata was also in the vicinity, so she decided to shield Naruto with her body. However, Neji used his Byakugan to detect the projectiles and quickly threw his body in front of them.

The projectiles impaled Neji's body and left him in critical condition. Neji then had a short moment where he talked about how Naruto had influenced him before finally passing away.

There's no method but death to escape this horrible curse. —Nehu Hyuuga

Kishimoto decided to kill off Neji Hyuuga because he wanted to deepen the bond between Naruto and Hinata. The writer wanted Naruto and Hinata to end up together, but he needed something to bring them closer. So, he killed off Neji. The Hyuuga's death served one more purpose— it increased Naruto's conviction and belief in himself.

Neji Should Have Been Left Alive

Neji's death wasn't entirely pointless, but Kishimoto was better off keeping him alive, especially when he was going to make a sequel to Naruto. The author could have easily made Neji use his rotation to ward off the projectiles. Even if the attacker was the Ten Tails, Neji wasn't a nobody. He was an elite Jonin from the Hidden Leaf, so it was the least he could have done.

If Kishimoto did have to kill someone, then he could have sacrificed Hiashi Hyuuga, which would have cleared the path for Neji to become the next leader of the clan. By doing so, Neji would have broken the curse and become free. If Neji had been alive, Kishimoto could have utilized him in Boruto. In fact, Neji would have been an excellent mentor to Boruto Uzumaki.

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