Battles are a common occurrence for shinobi. Therefore, a shinobi must continuously train their combat abilities to become stronger than potential enemies they might face in the future and to prevent dangers that could have fatal consequences if defeated by stronger foes.

In addition to combat skills, maintaining optimal physical condition is also crucial for a shinobi before engaging in battle against enemies. Throughout the Naruto Shippuden anime, there are several characters who were forced to lose battles due to being sick, which gave their opponents an advantage due to their weakened state. As a result, these characters faced defeat in battle.

Here are six Naruto Characters Defeated in Battle Due to illness.

1. Sai vs. Shin

As children who lost their parents due to war, Shin and Sai chose to join the Anbu Root Organization led by Danzo. Danzo trained Shin and Sai to become shinobi, assigning them to always be together and live in the same house. As a result, Shin and Sai developed a relationship akin to that of siblings. Despite not being actual siblings, Sai regarded Shin as an older brother, and Shin viewed Sai as a younger brother.

However, as Sai and Shin grew into adults, Danzo ordered them to fight to the death, with the survivor being chosen as an official member of Anbu Root. It was not an easy task for Sai and Shin, who considered each other siblings, to carry out the task of eliminating each other. Therefore, Danzo issued a warning to Sai and Shin. If, within a 3-day period, Sai and Shin were found alive or attempting to escape, Danzo threatened to eliminate them both.

The Anbu Root Organization was designed to nurture a pair of children to become close friends and develop a sibling bond. However, upon reaching adulthood, they were tasked with eliminating friends who had come to be regarded as siblings. As the leader of Anbu Root, Danzo required its members to suppress emotions and be ruthless. This was done to create true and strong shinobi.

Sai felt it was impossible to fight against Shin. However, Shin attempted to fight seriously and swung his sword at Sai. Sai was surprised by Shin's action to eliminate him. Nevertheless, Sai had no intention of fighting against Shin and continuously avoided each of his attacks.

Next, Sai ran while leaping through the trees to distance himself from Shin, who was pursuing him. However, Shin's illness suddenly flared up, causing him to fall from a tree. Sai became concerned and approached Shin, who was lying in pain on the ground. Unexpectedly, Shin pointed a Kunai at Sai's neck.

Shin believed that Sai was too kind-hearted to become a member of Anbu Root. However, since Shin had given up on his illness, he believed that Sai deserved to live. Furthermore, Shin's illness worsened, causing him to cough up blood repeatedly. Sai tried to convince Shin to seek medical treatment, but Shin refused, knowing that his illness was incurable.

As Danzo was unaware of Shin's severe illness, Shin instructed Sai to inform Danzo that Sai had successfully eliminated him. Shin also advised Sai to suppress his emotions so that he could fulfill his role as a member of Anbu Root without jeopardizing himself.

The Reason Sai Could Defeat Shin

Although Sai managed to defeat Shin, it turns out that Shin had been suffering from a severe coughing blood illness since childhood but chose to keep it a secret from Sai and Danzo. Unlike Sai, who was unaware that the final Anbu Root test was to eliminate a friend, Shin had long known about this test.

Shin concealed his illness from Sai and Danzo so that he could intentionally lose to Sai during their swordfight in the final Anbu Root test. However, Shin's weakened body condition prevented him from wielding the sword, and Sai had no intention of fighting Shin. As a result, Shin's desire to intentionally lose the fight against Sai remained unfulfilled, and Shin ultimately succumbed to his illness.

2. Rock Lee vs. Shira

During the second round of the Chunin Exams held in the Sunagakure Desert, half of the teams were given a sky scroll and the other half an earth scroll. To pass the second round, each team needed to have one sky scroll and one earth scroll by taking scrolls from other teams.

One of the participants from Suna, named Shira, had a personal mission to help all Suna shinobi pass the Chunin Exams. Shira even voluntarily helped his Suna comrades, whose scrolls were threatened to be taken by Neji, Lee, and Tenten. After successfully rescuing his comrades, Shira and his team managed to trap Neji, Lee, and Tenten in a sand waterfall.

However, Shira's noble actions were not met with gratitude from his Suna comrades. Despite Shira protecting his comrades from Lee, Tenten, and Neji, his Suna comrades actually wanted to take Shira's team's scrolls. They even shot two kunai into Shira's chest and attempted to eliminate him by throwing numerous kunai. Fortunately, Neji with Kaiten and Lee with Konoha Senpuu managed to save Shira from the Kunai attack.

The reason Shira was attacked by his Suna comrades was due to jealousy over Shira's closeness to Kazekage Gaara. It was revealed that Shira's goal of helping all his Suna comrades pass the Chunin Exams was to repay Gaara's kindness. As Shira lacked Ninjutsu or Genjutsu abilities, he relied solely on Taijutsu. This prevented Shira from entering the Suna Academy and becoming a Suna shinobi. However, since Gaara became Kazekage, he appointed Shira as a shinobi and Taijutsu instructor because Shira reminded him of Rock Lee, a skilled Taijutsu fighter who was once Gaara's opponent. Gaara was also confident that Shira could become a great shinobi with Taijutsu abilities, much like Konoha's Rock Lee.

After Shira thanked Rock Lee for saving him from his Suna comrades' attack, Lee challenged Shira to a Taijutsu fight. This was a gesture of gratitude from Shira to Rock Lee for demonstrating impressive Taijutsu skills during his battle against Gaara in the Konoha Chunin Exams. Thanks to Rock Lee, Shira can now fulfill his dream of becoming a Suna shinobi.

Next, Lee and Shira engaged in a Taijutsu battle. Both displayed rapid movements and exchanged powerful punches. Although both were struck an equal number of times, Shira's advantage in size and weight became apparent. This caused Lee, who was smaller in stature, to receive greater impact from Shira's attacks, resulting in him being thrown and falling.

Subsequently, Lee prepared to unlock the First Gate of Hachimon Tonkou. However, due to Shira previously targeting Lee's chakra center during their earlier Taijutsu fight, the flow of chakra in Lee's body stopped, preventing him from unlocking the gate. Shira then activated his silent attack mode and resumed the Taijutsu fight with Lee. Impressively, Shira's attacks were accurate and relentlessly pounded Lee, making it difficult for him to counter or block Shira's strikes.

Based on Neji's observation, Shira's silent attack technique was likened to an owl's feathers, which are designed to dampen sound when flapping. Shira was believed to have modified Taijutsu chakra throughout his body to resemble the dampening feathers of an owl. Despite Lee honing all five senses, particularly his sense of hearing as a Taijutsu user, Shira's attacks emitted no sound at all. Consequently, Shira's attacks were challenging to block or evade, consistently hitting Lee's body with precision.

After Shira's strikes sent Lee tumbling to the ground, Shira prepared a silent punch attack and challenged Lee to dodge it. Fortunately, Lee recalled Guy's teachings on mastering combat flow by memorizing an opponent's attack patterns. Despite Shira's soundless movements, Lee had memorized Shira's movement patterns, allowing him to predict and anticipate Shira's strikes, which were no longer difficult for Lee to counter.

Impressed by Lee's ability to counter the silent punch, Shira decided to release the chakra lock on Lee's body because he wanted to see Lee fight using his full abilities. Continuing the battle, Lee managed to activate the Third Gate of Hachimon Tonkou, enveloping his body in green chakra. Shira was equally formidable, having activated the Third Activation of Stin Ko Ho, surrounding his body with yellow chakra.

Hachimon Tonkou involved opening chakra gates up to the maximum Eighth Gate and forcibly releasing the chakra limiters to amplify body strength several times over. Meanwhile, Stin Ko Ho was a technique that absorbed a significant amount of oxygen to refresh the entire body and increase lung capacity by up to four times.

In the ensuing battle, Lee utilized the Hachimon Tonkou mode against Shira's Stin Ko Ho mode. However, mid-fight, Lee unlocked the Fifth Gate of Hachimon Tonkou, making it difficult for Shira to handle Lee's super-fast attacks. Eventually, Shira was cornered by Lee's continuous assaults. Lee's powerful kick struck Shira's face, and Lee's Konoha Senpuu kick sent Shira flying through the air, crashing hard onto the ground.

After being thrown to the ground, Shira managed to rise and prepare to continue the battle against Lee. However, suddenly, his chest wound reopened, causing Shira to collapse and lie helpless on the ground. Consequently, the battle between Lee and Shira had to be halted.

The Reason Rock Lee Could Defeat Shira

Although Rock Lee managed to defeat Shira in battle, Shira was actually suffering from a severe illness. Before facing Rock Lee, Shira had been struck by a Kunai attack from his Suna comrade. His unhealthy and sickly condition made it challenging for Shira to endure the battle. In this case, Shira's defeat was more due to health factors than combat skills.

3. Gaara vs. Kimimaro

As a result of the Yoninshu team taking too long to deliver Sasuke to Orochimaru as a new vessel, Kabuto visited Kimimaro, who was critically ill. Kabuto told Kimimaro about a strong replacement candidate for him as Orochimaru's vessel. Kabuto's persuasive words triggered guilt in Kimimaro, leading him to make the decision to risk his life to bring Sasuke to Orochimaru as an atonement for his failure to become a vessel due to his illness.

Thanks to Shikamaru's brilliant strategy, Naruto managed to steal the chest containing Sasuke that was being transported by the Yoninshu team. However, Kimimaro suddenly appeared and reclaimed the chest containing Sasuke from Naruto and Shikamaru. Naruto then pursued Kimimaro, who intended to deliver the chest to Orochimaru. Amid the battle between Kimimaro and Naruto, Sasuke emerged from the chest to go to Orochimaru on his own. Luckily, Rock Lee arrived to take Naruto's place in the fight against Kimimaro, allowing Naruto to chase after Sasuke.

Although Rock Lee's Drunken Fist Taijutsu posed a challenge to Kimimaro, Kimimaro's Kekkei Genkai abilities were too formidable for Lee to handle. Even Kimimaro's bone attacks nearly proved fatal to Lee. Fortunately, Gaara arrived just in time and managed to save Lee. Gaara's arrival as reinforcement from the Sand Village was due to Tsunade's call for help from Suna Shinobi to aid Konoha in the mission to retrieve Sasuke.

Thus, a battle ensued between Gaara and Kimimaro. Gaara possessed the ability to control sand, using it both as a shield and an offensive weapon. Meanwhile, Kimimaro had the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai, which allowed him to manipulate his iron-hard bones from within his body, turning them into weapons or shields.

Kimimaro initiated the attack by shooting bone bullets from his fingertips, but Gaara's sand shield managed to block them. Gaara then countered by immobilizing Kimimaro's legs with sand and showering him with sand droplets that enveloped his body. Gaara attempted to crush Kimimaro, who was trapped in the sand. However, thanks to bones lining his skin, Kimimaro survived Gaara's fearsome sand assault.

Next, Gaara attacked Kimimaro with a sand wave that dragged his body under and buried him in the sand. Gaara then placed both palms on the sand's surface and used the Sabaku Taisou Jutsu to apply strong pressure, grinding Kimimaro's body buried within the sand sea. Yet, after activating Stage 2, transforming into a dinosaur-like monster, Kimimaro managed to break free from Gaara's sand mound and challenged Gaara to fight once more.

Thanks to Stage 2's power, Kimimaro was able to escape from Gaara's close-range sand attacks. Furthermore, Kimimaro penetrated Gaara's sand defenses and rammed into him, sending him flying. Following this, Kimimaro drew the spine bones from his back, using them as a whip, and wrapped them around Gaara's body. He then transformed his hand into a massive spear-like bone and attempted to attack Gaara.

To counter Kimimaro's massive spear-like bone attack, Gaara employed the Shield of Sand Jutsu, using hardened minerals collected from the ground. Gaara added chakra-enhanced pressure to the sand and mixed it in. As a result, Kimimaro's bone weapon shattered into pieces, unable to penetrate Gaara's Shukaku-form sand shield.

Gaara provoked Kimimaro by claiming he would be the last of the Kaguya Clan to be destroyed by him. Kimimaro admitted that, due to his illness, he knew his time was short and he would likely die soon. Gaara also taunted Kimimaro for being brainwashed by Orochimaru, having heard Kimimaro's confession about dedicating his life to fulfilling Orochimaru's dream of uncovering the world's mysteries.

Subsequently, Gaara buried Kimimaro 200 meters underground using sand pressure that could crush even steel, rendering Kimimaro unable to move a finger. Despite being buried, Kimimaro launched a final attack, growing tens of thousands of giant bone blades that pierced through the surface layer of the ground, nearly killing Lee and Gaara.

Kimimaro recalled his childhood memories of being alone and locked away in a prison. However, Kimimaro was once released to aid the Kaguya Clan in warfare due to the value of his Kekkei Genkai ability. After the Kaguya Clan was annihilated by Kirigakure shinobi, leaving only Kimimaro, Orochimaru offered him a purpose in life. This admiration led Kimimaro to serve and worship Orochimaru fanatically. Hence, Kimimaro was furious when Gaara accused him of being brainwashed by Orochimaru.

After Gaara transformed the battleground from green grass to a sand field, Kimimaro turned the sandy field into thousands of giant

bone blades resembling trees Fortunately, Gaara and Lee narrowly escaped when Kimimaro's bone blades emerged from the ground as Gaara and Lee were floating in the air on sand platforms.

After Kimimaro was buried 200 meters underground, Gaara and Lee assumed that Kimimaro was dead for sure. Gaara was also depleted of chakra due to his high-level attacks.

When Gaara became complacent, thinking Kimimaro was defeated, Kimimaro suddenly emerged from behind Gaara's back using a giant bone spear weapon. Kimimaro manipulated his bone hand into a spear and aimed it at Gaara's face. Unfortunately, Kimimaro had already died from his severe coughing fits before his spear could reach Gaara's face.

Gaara admitted to Lee that if Kimimaro hadn't died from his illness, he would have been defeated by Kimimaro. However, Lee reminded Gaara of his sensei Guy's teachings, which stated that winning by luck was also a part of strength.

The Reason Gaara Could Defeat Kimimaro

Although Gaara managed to defeat Kimimaro, the truth is that Kimimaro was suffering from a severe illness that caused him to cough up blood frequently. Kimimaro first experienced these fits when accompanying Orochimaru in an attempt to destroy Konoha. After aiding Orochimaru in killing the Fourth Kazekage of Suna, Rasa, who was Gaara's father, Kimimaro's illness worsened significantly, rendering him incapacitated.

Kabuto made every effort to treat Kimimaro's condition. Reportedly, among the Kaguya Clan, only Kimimaro possessed the Shikotsumyaku Kekkei Genkai. However, due to the unique bone structure of the Kaguya Clan, especially in Kimimaro's case, along with a lack of historical medical records about the Kaguya Clan, Kabuto ultimately gave up on trying to cure Kimimaro.

After Kabuto abandoned Kimimaro's treatment, Kimimaro was left bedridden while receiving infusions to prolong his life. Out of reverence for Orochimaru, Kimimaro resolved to risk his life to bring Sasuke Uchiha, a new vessel coveted by Orochimaru, Kimimaro managed to muster his strength and engage Gaara in battle, but ultimately succumbed to his illness and died during their fight.

4. Sasuke vs. Orochimaru

Orochimaru aspired to master all Jutsu and uncover the mysteries of the world. Therefore, he created the Fushi Tensei Jutsu to attain immortality. During the Tensei ritual, Orochimaru transformed into a giant white snake and transferred his soul to a chosen target as a new vessel. By overtaking others' bodies, Orochimaru could rejuvenate and achieve immortality.

Unfortunately, Orochimaru's body's post-Tensei lifespan was limited to only 3 years. Afterward, Orochimaru would suffer severe agony. Before his body deteriorated, Orochimaru had to secure a new host body for his soul. The exception would be if Orochimaru found a suitable and strong host. This would spare him from the need to find a new vessel every 3 years, allowing him to use that body forever.

Despite Shikamaru's team not managing to bring Sasuke back to Konoha during the mission, they successfully hindered the Yoninshu Team's journey, preventing them from delivering Sasuke on time to Orochimaru. Consequently, the longer Orochimaru waited for Sasuke, the more his condition worsened, approaching the limit of changing his vessel. Eventually, Orochimaru was forced to perform Tensei on Genyuumaru's body as a new vessel.

Although Sasuke eventually arrived and agreed to become Orochimaru's next vessel, Orochimaru couldn't immediately transfer to Sasuke's body after Tensei with Genyuumaru. Orochimaru had to wait for another 3 years before being able to perform the Tensei ritual on Sasuke and take his body as a new vessel in the future.

While Orochimaru awaited the end of Genyuumaru's Tensei time limit, he agreed to Sasuke's request to train him for greater strength. Orochimaru taught Sasuke various Jutsu, including refining his Sharingan abilities. Orochimaru hoped to eventually possess Sasuke's strength by overtaking his body as a new vessel.

Actually, Orochimaru had long desired the Sharingan eyes and had been obsessed with using a Uchiha Clan member's body as a vessel. However, since Itachi was too powerful to defeat, Orochimaru turned his attention to Sasuke. This is why, when Orochimaru's body was suffering and nearing its limit for changing vessels, Orochimaru was ecstatic at the prospect of obtaining Sasuke's body as his next vessel.

Unfortunately for Orochimaru, Sasuke exploited his weakened state and attacked him, intending to eliminate him. Sasuke used a lightning-charged sword-like Chakra that penetrated both of Orochimaru's wrists.

Next, Sasuke informed Orochimaru that there was nothing left for him to teach. Sasuke claimed to be stronger than Orochimaru, suggesting he no longer needed to surrender his body. He even arrogantly stated that the Uchiha Clan's level surpassed Orochimaru's title as a Legendary Sannin Genius.

Sasuke also expressed his disgust for Orochimaru's inhumane experiments and Orochimaru's ambition to unveil the world's mysteries. Sasuke then attacked Orochimaru with a sword, aimed at Orochimaru's mouth. However, Orochimaru activated his true form as a giant white snake, counterattacking Sasuke. This led to a battle between Sasuke in Stage 2 form and Orochimaru in the form of the giant white snake.

Subsequently, Sasuke used a lightning-charged sword to slash the giant white snake Orochimaru. Sasuke briefly believed he had defeated Orochimaru since he cut off parts of the snake's body. However, Sasuke suddenly collapsed as he inhaled the evaporating fluids from the snake's body. These fluids acted as a paralyzing poison. After pretending to be dead for a moment, Orochimaru, now in the form of the giant white snake, prepared to consume Sasuke's paralyzed body.

Later, Sasuke was drawn into Orochimaru's Tensei ritual dimension. Both Orochimaru's and Sasuke's bodies were enveloped in a mass of flesh. Orochimaru gazed at Sasuke's eyes and muttered his deep desire for the Sharingan. The Tensei ritual took place within Orochimaru's mental realm. Orochimaru was naturally dominant in this ritual dimension, and the snake within it was supposed to consume the victim, ensuring Orochimaru's acquisition of a new body.

However, when Orochimaru attempted to take over Sasuke's body during the Tensei ritual, Sasuke's Sharingan was able to reverse the process. Sasuke utilized his Joutai technique to erode Orochimaru's dimension, ultimately mastering the snake within the ritual. As a result, Sasuke took over Orochimaru's body, gaining his powers.

# Reason Sasuke Could Defeat Orochimaru

Although Sasuke managed to defeat Orochimaru, the truth is that Orochimaru's body was severely weakened, having reached the limit for changing vessels. After some time had passed, Karin once teased Sasuke for struggling against Deidara, suggesting he should have easily defeated Orochimaru. However, Sasuke explained to Karin that his victory against Orochimaru was due to Orochimaru's weakened condition.

5. Sasuke vs. Itachi

Itachi annihilated the entire Uchiha Clan in Konoha, including his parents, but spared his younger brother, Uchiha Sasuke. Itachi left a message for Sasuke saying that if he ever wanted to avenge him, Sasuke needed to harbor intense hatred and eliminate his close friends. This was so Sasuke could awaken the Mangekyo Sharingan, just like Itachi's.

As a result, Sasuke set his life's purpose on avenging Itachi. As a teen, Sasuke once fought Itachi in Konoha, but Sasuke was utterly defeated because his power was insufficient against Itachi. Continually frustrated by his weaknesses, Sasuke decided to seek out Orochimaru and ask him to train him to become stronger.

Eventually, the time for Sasuke's revenge against Itachi arrived. Their battle began with Genjutsu. It appeared as though Itachi and Sasuke engaged in physical combat, but Sasuke merely managed to pierce a sword into a group of crows, which were actually Itachi's illusion. Itachi was casually sitting and watching Sasuke stand before him.

However, the Sasuke that Itachi observed standing before him was also an illusion, comprised of a cluster of snakes. In reality, Sasuke was behind the chair Itachi was leaning on, and he thrust a sword into the chair's back, making it appear as if he had pierced Itachi's abdomen. Yet Sasuke realized that he had stabbed an illusion of Itachi, as the real Itachi was still sitting calmly, observing Sasuke's actions.

Next, Sasuke challenged Itachi to fight outside the realm of Genjutsu. But Itachi belittled Sasuke for not yet awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan. Itachi argued that Sasuke's determination was weak because he wouldn't eliminate his close friends. Nonetheless, Sasuke asserted he wasn't afraid of facing Itachi and challenged him to use the Mangekyo Sharingan immediately. Sasuke even ordered Itachi to fight him right away.

Because Sasuke overly relied on his regular Sharingan to battle Itachi, Itachi informed him that the Uchiha's ultimate level was achieved by awakening the Mangekyo Sharingan. For instance, Madara and Izuna were revered by the Uchiha Clan for achieving this by killing their close friends. One day, Madara lost his eyesight due to the Mangekyo Sharingan's side effects and took his brother Izuna's Sharingan. This allowed Madara to attain the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan. To surpass Madara and become the best Uchiha in history, Itachi threatened to take Sasuke's Sharingan to gain the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan.

Subsequently, Sasuke and Itachi exchanged shuriken attacks with no clear victor. At a moment, Sasuke restrained Itachi's hand, attempting to stab him with a kunai, while Itachi restrained Sasuke's hand, wielding a sword. Though they immobilized each other, Itachi managed to create a Shadow Clone with one hand, throwing three kunai at Sasuke. However, Sasuke shielded himself with a white snake. Then, Sasuke attacked with a Chidori-charged Fuma Shuriken, successfully severing Itachi's hand. However, this led to Itachi transforming into a flock of crows surrounding Sasuke.

Eventually, Sasuke fell into Tsukuyomi Genjutsu. In this Genjutsu, Itachi was shown removing Sasuke's Sharingan eyes, causing Sasuke great pain. But Sasuke managed to break free from the Tsukuyomi and enter his Stage 3 transformation. Sasuke attacked Itachi with a snake that pierced his abdomen. As a result, Sasuke momentarily collapsed due to Tsukuyomi's effects, and Itachi's form also fell due to Sasuke's victory over Tsukuyomi.

Seeing Sasuke effectively countering Genjutsu, Itachi prepared to combat him using Ninjutsu. As Itachi readied the Amaterasu, Sasuke tried to stop him by attacking with two Fuma Shuriken. However, Itachi evaded by slipping his body between the two shuriken. Yet Sasuke controlled the shuriken's strings, successfully stabbing Itachi's leg and causing him to fall. Sasuke capitalized on Itachi's pain by attacking with fire and Chidori, but Itachi dodged both strikes.

Next, Sasuke and Itachi engaged in a Fireball Jutsu battle. Sasuke's fireball overwhelmed Itachi's, but Itachi's Amaterasu managed to consume Sasuke's fire. Itachi directed the Amaterasu toward Sasuke, and Sasuke ran around the battlefield to dodge it. This resulted in the forest catching fire from Amaterasu's black flames. However, despite Sasuke's evasion skills, he was eventually hit by Amaterasu. Fortunately, thanks to Orochimaru's Kawarimi Jutsu, which shed his skin, Sasuke escaped Amaterasu's flames.

Following this, Sasuke used all his chakra to unleash a continuous barrage of fireballs into the sky. This caused the air to heat up, creating high pressure, and Amaterasu's black flames ignited a thunderstorm due to the battle's impact on the weather. Using atmospheric energy, Sasuke believed he could defeat Itachi. Sasuke then attacked with the Kirin Jutsu, manifesting a colossal Lightning Dragon that struck Itachi.

Thanks to Susano'o's protection, Itachi survived Sasuke's mighty Kirin Jutsu. However, due to Sasuke's depleted chakra, he struggled to suppress Orochimaru's chakra, which had been absorbed and sealed within him. As a result, Orochimaru emerged from Sasuke's body through the curse seal on his neck, taking on the form of an eight-headed white snake.

This led to a battle between Itachi's Susano'o and Orochimaru's eight-headed snake. Itachi's Susano'o used its shield to fend off the snake's attacks. Later, Susano'o's sword sliced through six of the snake's heads. Orochimaru then appeared through the snake's mouth, wielding the Kusanagi sword that emerged from it.

Orochimaru informed Itachi that he had been waiting for the opportunity to seize Sasuke's body once the seal weakened. However, while Orochimaru was speaking, Itachi attacked him with the Totsuka sword, piercing Orochimaru's body. The Totsuka sword was a sealing weapon, and Orochimaru, struck by it, became trapped within it and confined to a perpetual Genjutsu.

While actively using Susano'o, Itachi approached Sasuke and informed him that he was about to take Sasuke's Sharingan. Despite Sasuke's depleted chakra, he still had hope against Itachi, who suddenly coughed up blood due to Susano'o's strain. Sasuke then attempted to attack Itachi with an explosive kunai, but Itachi's Susano'o Mirror Shield could repel various attacks. Sasuke was even thrown back when he struck his sword against the shield.

Later, Sasuke realized his helplessness and panicked against Susano'o-mode Itachi. Itachi was before Sasuke, and Sasuke was uncertain of what to do. When Sasuke

found himself cornered and growing frustrated, Itachi suddenly tapped his fingers on Sasuke's forehead. Then Itachi's body collapsed abruptly, his head hitting the wall. Itachi died, lying near Sasuke's feet.

Reasons Sasuke Could Defeat Itachi

Although Sasuke managed to defeat Itachi, in truth, Itachi had been battling a debilitating illness for a long time. Knowing his life was drawing to a close, Itachi relied on medications to prolong his life in order to eventually fight against an adult Sasuke.

During Sasuke's fight against Itachi, Itachi's vision blurred several times, making it difficult for him to evade Sasuke's attacks, like the Fuma Shuriken. Itachi's illness worsened as he used Amaterasu and Susano'o, causing him to cough up blood multiple times during the fight against Sasuke.

6. Naruto vs. Pain

When Pain was assigned by Tobi to capture the Nine-Tails in Konoha, he arrived in Konoha. However, after not finding Naruto and the Konoha shinobi being reluctant to reveal his location, Pain began to attack and rampage there. This resulted in many citizens being injured and several Konoha shinobi being killed.

After learning that Naruto was at Mount Myoboku, Pain stopped his attack in Konoha, planning to leave. But before leaving Konoha, Pain gifted the village with a Shinra Tensei attack that devastated all the buildings, destroying the Village Hidden in the Leaves.

Shortly after Konoha was destroyed, Sage Mode Naruto and his group of toads arrived in Konoha. From a distance, Naruto witnessed Tsunade facing off against the six Pains. When Pain Shurado was about to attack Tsunade, Naruto suddenly appeared and attacked with a successful Rasengan that killed Pain Shurado. Naruto then ordered Tsunade to rest, which Tsunade obeyed. Tsunade then handed over Katsuyu to Naruto, as Katsuyu had information about each of Pain's abilities, which would help Naruto in his fight against Pain.

Next, Naruto fought against Pain Gakido. Naruto used Frog Kata Martial Arts to deceive the connected Rinnegan's vision of Pain. Naruto's attacks successfully defeated Pain Gakido. Naruto then threw a Rasen Shuriken at the group of Pains. As a result, Pain Ningendo tried to help Pain Chikushodo avoid the Rasen Shuriken, but instead, Pain Ningendo was hit and killed by the Rasen Shuriken.

Following this, Naruto battled against Pain Chikushodo with the assistance of the Toad Team—Gamabunta, Gamahiro, and Gamaken—who were managing the Summoning of the Giant Toad Boss, the Mighty Toad Sage. Thanks to the excellent cooperation between Naruto and the Toad Team, Shima was able to blur Rinnegan's vision of Pain. Fukasaku then summoned Gamabunta to join Naruto in his fight against Pain Chikushodo. As a result, Gamabunta was able to trap Naruto and Pain Chikushodo inside his mouth, allowing Naruto to attack with two Rasengan that successfully killed Pain Chikushodo.

After realizing that Naruto had run out of Sage Mode, Pain Tendo immediately attacked Naruto to prevent him from gathering Senjutsu chakra. However, Naruto had left two Sage Mode Shadow Clones at Mount Myoboku, so Naruto only needed to perform a Summoning Jutsu to bring one of those clones back. Naruto carried a large scroll on his body and threw it at Fukasaku. Fukasaku then summoned a Sage Mode Shadow Clone, allowing Naruto to automatically enter Sage Mode.

After kicking Pain Tendo and sending him flying, Naruto attacked with a Rasen Shuriken at Pain Tendo. However, thanks to Pain Jigokudo reviving Pain Gakido, Pain Tendo was saved from the Rasen Shuriken attack. This was because Pain Gakido absorbed the Rasen Shuriken that was meant for Pain Tendo.

Next, Naruto created two Shadow Clones and concealed his presence using smoke. He directed the Rasen Shuriken attack toward the gathering Pains, but Pain Gakido attempted to absorb it, only to discover it was a Henge no Jutsu (Transformation Technique). As a result, Naruto's Shadow Clone successfully tackled Pain Gakido. Although Pain Tendo managed to destroy the original Rasen Shuriken attack using the Shinra Tensei technique, Naruto's Shadow Clone finally fell from the sky and attacked with two Rasengan, successfully killing Pain Jigokudo.

Then, Pain Tendo attacked with Shinra Tensei as Naruto was about to strike him, and Pain Gakido was also about to strike Naruto's Shadow Clone. This sent Naruto and his Shadow Clone flying. The Toad Team—Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro—attempted to gang up on Pain Tendo and Pain Gakido. However, Pain Tendo used Shinra Tensei, sending the Toad Team flying far away and knocking down Gamabunta, Gamaken, and Gamahiro.

Pain acknowledged Naruto's strength, as Naruto was the first enemy to defeat many of the Pains. With Bansho Tenin's ability, Pain Tendo pulled Naruto's body towards him, and Pain Gakido trapped Naruto's body and absorbed his Sage Mode chakra. Due to absorbing too much Senjutsu chakra from Naruto, Pain Gakido transformed into a frog statue.

Knowing that Fukasaku and Shima were preparing to trap Pain in the Genjutsu Melody, as they did when Pain fought against Jiraiya, Pain Tendo used Bansho Tenin to pull Fukasaku and then stabbed him with a metal rod, killing Fukasaku. Then, Pain Tendo used Bansho Tenin again to pull Naruto's body and slam it into the ground. Afterward, Pain Tendo stacked both of Naruto's palms and stabbed them with the metal rods.

To immobilize Naruto, Pain Tendo then stabbed metal rods all over Naruto's body as he lay prone. Hinata tried to help Naruto and challenged Pain Tendo to fight. Hinata repeatedly attempted to break the metal rods that were impaling Naruto, but Pain Tendo attacked repeatedly with Shinra Tensei, knocking Hinata's body away each time. Fed up with Hinata's persistence to free Naruto from the metal impalement, Pain Tendo threw Hinata into the air, slammed her body onto the ground, and then impaled her with metal rods.

Upon witnessing Pain Tendo's brutality towards Hinata, Naruto transformed into the Nine-Tails' Four-Tails form. The Four-Tails threw rocks at Pain Tendo, punched his face, and pummeled rocks onto Pain Tendo's head until Pain Tendo's body was buried in the ground. Next, Naruto transformed into the Nine-Tails' Six-Tails form and fired continuous chakra bullets at Pain Tendo, managing to reverse the Shinra Tensei attack and sending Pain Tendo flying.

At the moment when Six-Tails Naruto chased after the escaping Pain Tendo towards Nagato's hiding place, Nagato activated the Chibaku Tensei on Pain Tendo. This created a massive floating boulder cluster in the air, which then entrapped Six-Tails Naruto within it. Naruto then transformed into the Nine-Tails' Eight-Tails form and attempted to free himself from the grasp of Chibaku Tensei by exhaling fire.

Moreover, Naruto came close to transforming into the Nine-Tails' form as he nearly released the seal of the Nine-Tails. However, Minato appeared in Naruto's mind and stopped him. Minato resealed the Nine-Tails inside Naruto, allowing Naruto to return to his normal form and escape from Chibaku Tensei's clutches.

With the information from Katsuyu, Naruto learned that after using Shinra Tensei, Pain Tendo needed 5 seconds to be able to use the technique again. Therefore, Naruto intended to utilize these 5 seconds to defeat Pain Tendo.

Next, Sage Mode Naruto resumed the fight against Pain Tendo. After throwing Pain Tendo and sending him flying, Naruto created smoke to cover

his presence and that of his two Shadow Clones. Then, Pain Tendo used Shinra Tensei to destroy Naruto's Rasen Shuriken attack. Once again, Naruto attacked Pain Tendo with Rasen Shuriken. As he waited for the 5 seconds required for Pain Tendo to use Shinra Tensei again, Pain Tendo leaped into the air to avoid Naruto's Rasen Shuriken attack.

Subsequently, Sage Mode Naruto re-engaged in the battle against Pain Tendo. After throwing Pain Tendo and sending him flying, Naruto created smoke to conceal himself and his two remaining Shadow Clones. Pain Tendo then used Shinra Tensei to destroy the Rasen Shuriken attack from Naruto. However, Naruto persisted and attacked Pain Tendo again with Rasen Shuriken. While waiting for the 5 seconds needed for Pain Tendo to use Shinra Tensei once more, Pain Tendo leaped into the air to avoid Naruto's Rasen Shuriken attack.

After leaping into the air, Pain Tendo placed his feet on the rubble of rocks. Suddenly, hundreds of Naruto's Shadow Clones emerged from the rubble of rocks, ready to gang up on Pain Tendo. However, Pain Tendo unleashed Shinra Tensei and pushed back hundreds of Naruto's Shadow Clones, sending them flying.

However, Naruto knew that Pain Tendo required 5 seconds to use Shinra Tensei again. So, Naruto prepared a Rasengan, and his two remaining Shadow Clones hurled Naruto toward Pain Tendo. Naruto then attacked Pain Tendo with the Rasengan and succeeded in defeating him.

# Reason Naruto Could Defeat Pain

Although Naruto successfully defeated Pain, Nagato had actually been suffering from a severe illness for a long time due to his initial battle against Hanzo. Nagato's leg was crippled by an exploding paper bomb, and channeling chakra into the Gedo Statue greatly drained Nagato's chakra, weakening his body for the rest of his life.

Furthermore, Pain Tendo had already used Shinra Tensei with tremendous force to destroy Konoha. As a result, Pain Tendo couldn't immediately fight against Naruto and had to be protected by the other Pains while he recovered his Shinra Tensei power.

Before fighting Naruto, the Gedo Rinne Tensei, which Pain Jigokudo possessed, had already been used twice to resurrect two Pains defeated by Kakashi and Konohamaru. Thus, during the battle against Naruto, Pain Jigokudo could only revive one Pain. This was different from when Pain fought Jiraiya, where Jiraiya managed to defeat three Pains, and Pain Jigokudo still had the ability to resurrect three Pains.

Nagato was extremely exhausted after battling Konoha's shinobi for too long and using Shinra Tensei to destroy Konoha. As a result, Nagato began coughing up blood, causing Pain Tendo to glitch briefly while fighting Hinata. Hinata even managed to punch Pain Tendo's face due to Nagato's weakened state. Particularly when Nagato used Chibako Tensei to imprison Six-Tails Naruto, Nagato experienced nosebleeds. Nagato's body grew weaker, and even the painstakingly formed Chibako Tensei ultimately crumbled on its own.

Qiuma

Six Naruto Characters are defeated in Battle Due to illness.