19 Years Ago, Naruto Fans Saw One Classic Hero Change Forever

The Chunin Exams from Naruto is, without a doubt, one of the most iconic arcs in all of anime, and one ninja managed to cement herself as a force to be reckoned with in a storyline full of multiple amazing moments and sequences. Today marks 19 years since fans’ minds were changed about one specific character who had been mostly unremarkable until then, especially when compared to other primary characters like Naruto, Sasuke, and Kakashi.

Titled “Sakura Blossoms”, Naruto Episode 32 premiered on May 6th, 2006, and the Japanese version was released coincidentally on May 7th, 2003. It covered chapters 52 and 53 of the manga and focused on the heroine and Team 7 member, Sakura Haruno. It saw her cut off her long hair, which symbolized severing her weak self, where she always relied on help from others and was unable to defend herself. While she fought valiantly against the Sound Genin to protect her unconscious friends, willpower wasn’t enough to win the fight, and she was eventually backed up by Ino and Team 10.

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Sakura’s Emergence To The Scene Was Spectacular

Since the Land of the Waves arc, Sakura was constantly left behind by her teammates and was not as active in fights as the other two. While the power difference was understandable given the other two’s incredible motivations and goals that spurred them on, Sakura still felt empty and a non-contributor. However, this changed in the Chunin Exams arc when she felt horrible and disheartened by her weakness and how often she was getting rescued. She also wanted to fight side by side as a member of Team 7, and this episode was the first step to that.

At the beginning of the time-skip, Sakura’s performance in the Kazekage Rescue arc was unbelievable. Be it healing Kankuro when none of the Sand’s doctors could or taking down Kankuro alongside Chiyo in one of Naruto’s best fights, she became all that she desired and more. She was even more impressive in the War arc, where she was one of the primary medics who saved hundreds and helped a lot in the sealing of Kaguya Otsutsuki. No one could have predicted that episode 32 was the start of one of the series’ best character arcs, and it was 19 years ago that she showed her grit in becoming her two friends’ equal.