Narutos Best Couple Deserve More Screentime

The Big Picture

• Shikamaru and Temari's relationship evolved from enemies to friends, making them the most satisfying couple in Naruto .
• Their contrasting traits positively influenced each other, creating a realistic and respectful relationship.
• Shikamaru and Temari's development from young ninja to capable leaders is engaging and deserving of more screen time.

Naruto is better known for its classic shōnen action battles, boasting some of the most memorable and interesting fights and techniques in the genre. In addition to his intriguing world building, one of Masashi Kishimoto's greatest strengths is his ability to create dynamic and memorable characters that are easy to root for as they face challenge after challenge. While most endeavors in the Naruto world deal with life or death situations, it's nonetheless incredibly interesting to watch these characters tackle challenges of a lighter nature, such as dating. Though couples like Sakura and Sasuke or Naruto and Hinata often receive more attention, neither of those pairings are actually the best in the series. It's Shikamaru and Temari who, despite starting off as enemies from different villages, go on to become the best couple in the series. Their slow-burning flirtationship spanned years, but ultimately, the drawn-out tension between the two rival ninja made their relationship significantly more satisfying to watch unfold.

Naruto

Naruto Uzumaki, a mischievous adolescent ninja, struggles as he searches for recognition and dreams of becoming the Hokage, the village's leader and strongest ninja.

Shikamaru and Temari's Relationship Was Years in the Making

Shikamaru and Temari are first paired with one another as opponents during the Chūnin Exams, but were far from friendly when they first met. Temari and her brothers, Gaara and Kankuro, were participating in the exams as part of the Hidden Village in the Sand, making them fierce and dangerous rivals to most of the protagonists. At this point, the Sand Siblings made no hesitation in showing their vicious abilities, as Gaara was being set up to be a monstrously powerful rival. However, Temari was nonetheless still a major threat as she swiftly defeated Ten-Ten, one of Shikamaru's fellow Leaf ninja, in a statement match that ended in a brutal victory.

Shikamaru is initially dismayed at having to fight a girl, but when the match begins, he never underestimates Temari's abilities. The two engage in a chess match battle, one of the most strategically involved fights in the Exams thus far, until Shikamaru outwits Temari and traps her with his Shadow Possession Jutsu. Defying expectations, Shikamaru instead forfeited the match, stating that he had used up all his energy and couldn't continue. This match set the foundation and blueprint for Shikamaru and Temari's relationship: Shikamaru would feign annoyance at Temari, but would nonetheless give her total respect, while Temari pushes Shikamaru to be his best.

Despite their already apparent potential, it would take some time before the two could begin their friendship. The Hidden Sand would wage an attack on the Hidden Leaf and, though it ultimately failed, the assault still left the village without a Hokage. However, after Tsunade is chosen as the Fifth Hokage, she opens up to collaboration with the Hidden Sand and requests their help during the Sasuke Retrieval Mission. Temari is the one who arrives to rescue Shikamaru and the two start showing the signs of a genuine connection. She is even present when Shikamaru considers quitting being a ninja and is brutally scolded by his father.

Over the years, the two would start to work more closely with one another. When Naruto first returns to the village in Naruto: Shippuden, he sees the two together and thinks they are dating, though they were actually collaborating on the upcoming Chūnin Exams, a fun nod to how they first met. When the Fourth Shinobi World War begins, the two find themselves assigned to the same division. Though Gaara was their official leader, his additional responsibilities meant that Shikamaru was assigned to be his proxy commander. When it fell to Shikamaru to actively lead the allied ninja, it was Temari yet again who pushed him to fulfill his responsibilities. Years after the war, the two would continue to get closer, both as allies and as friends. After a particularly harrowing mission where Temari once again rescues Shikamaru, he finally asks her out on a date. Despite their prodigious intelligence in battle, the two remained awkward and continued having miscommunications even through their date at Naruto and Hinata's wedding. Eventually, the two would get married, Temari would move to Konoha, and they would have a child named Shikadai in Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.

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Temari and Shikamaru Have the Most Realistic Relationship in ‘Naruto’

From their early interactions as ninja from rival villages to their frequent collaborations and eventual romance, Temari and Shikamaru had one of the best and most realistic relationships in the entire series. Their personalities initially seemed like they would clash, as Temari was far more headstrong and assertive, while Shikamaru was lazy and unmotivated. However, because the two always had mutual respect for one another, their contrasting traits actually positively influenced each other. In his early days as a ninja, Shikamaru displayed incredible intellect but a thorough lack of internal motivation to work harder than he needed to. Temari was one of the first people to actively and forcefully push Shikamaru out of his comfort zone because she saw how much potential he had. Temari, on the other hand, wanted to be respected and trusted as a shinobi, specifically by her two younger brothers. While Shikamaru often verbally complained about fighting or being saved by a girl, he always treated Temari with respect as a peer. While anime romances sometimes sideline the female character, Temari never loses her status as a formidable ninja, especially from Shikamaru's perspective.

Their relationship was also notable because it felt the most realistic in the series. For viewers, it's hard to relate to Naruto wanting to marry Hinata so shortly after realizing he also had a crush on her. It's also hard to imagine being like Sakura and still loving your childhood crush after he committed several war crimes. However, Temari and Shikamaru took time to develop and were never depicted as perfect from the start. Temari was initially one of Shikamaru's enemies, with her village literally attacking his. But in their mutually shared desire for peace, both groups were able to take the steps for eventual reconciliation. The alliance and friendship between villages and the peace they've helped build allows the two to get married, with Temari moving to the Hidden Leaf — an incredibly distant journey from how the first two met.

Naruto is, by its very nature, not a romance anime, so the romantic relationships between side characters were never going to receive that much spotlight. However, every glimpse of Shikamaru and Temari is so engaging and endearing to watch that it's hard not to want more. Seeing them grow from being two young ninja into capable leaders and heroes in the shinobi world is made even more satisfying because of the natural development of their friendship. For all their years of collaboration and their village-spanning friendship, Temari and Shikamaru deserve far more screen time than they were initially given.

Naruto is available to stream on Hulu in the U.S.

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