With the sheer popularity of Naruto and just how many characters are in the show's cast, it's no wonder that shipping is also immensely popular. Some Naruto ships are unanimously accepted by most of the fanbase — like Shikamaru and Temari, Tsunade and Jiraiya, and Minato and Kushina — but that isn't the case for all of them. Some Naruto pairings, both canon and non-canon, gain traction in certain parts of the fanbase despite making little to no sense when looking at the characters and their actual dynamic.
Some Naruto pairings don't make sense because the characters hardly interact and don't have anything that would connect them in a meaningful way, while others have an unhealthy dynamic that doesn't work romantically. This is only furthered by the fact that the end of Naruto Shippuden pairs up virtually all of its main characters, even if their romantic partner has barely been shown on-screen.
Kakashi Has Known Sakura Since She Was Fresh Out of the Academy
Kakashi Hatake And Sakura Haruno
A popular pairing in the Naruto fan community is Sakura Haruno and Kakashi Hatake, who met while Kakashi was already a jonin — well into his adult years — and Sakura was a pre-teen fresh out of the academy. Even without considering this questionable factor, there's nothing about Sakura and Kakashi's interactions that hints at anything even slightly romantic on either end.
Kakashi is a great mentor for Sakura who doesn't look down on her and teaches her invaluable lessons, and thanks to that and Tsunade's training, Sakura stands as his equal by the time Naruto: Shippuden rolls around. They have a great dynamic, but they should remain strictly platonic.
Sasuke and Hinata Barely Interact Throughout All of Naruto
Sasuke Uchiha and Hinata Hyuga
The Naruto pairing between Hinata Hyuga and Sasuke Uchiha is surprisingly popular in the fandom despite them being two of the characters who least interact throughout the series. The traits that attract Hinata to Naruto — his determination to prove everyone's view of him wrong, honestly chasing his dreams and wanting to gain respect — are ones that Sasuke openly rejects as he seeks power and revenge above all else.
In all likelihood, the main reason why Hinata and Sasuke have so many supporters is because of the ship wars that took place before Naruto's main pairings were solidified. Between Naruto, Sasuke, Sakura and Hinata, fans didn't know who would end up with who, and those who didn't like their other options or preferred Sasuke and Hinata as characters chose them to back romantically instead.
Fans Ship Tayuya With Naruto Because of Her Parallels With Kushina
Naruto Uzumaki and the Sound Four's Tayuya
Naruto Uzumaki and Tayuya are a pretty popular pairing in Naruto's shipping community despite Tayuya being of the Sound Four that aided in the Sasuke Retrieval Squad's ultimate failure. Supporters of the pairing cite Tayuya as fierce and independent, similar to Kushina — and also having her trademark, rare red hair.
This completely ignores the fact that Tayuya is part of the Sound Four and would have been Shikamaru's killer if Temari hadn't come to his rescue. Although she shares parallels with his mother, Tayuya is someone Naruto would never consider for a romantic partner, and the pairing feels nonsensical outside of the small community that supports it.
Ino's Attraction to Sai Is Built Around His Vague Resemblance to Sasuke
Ino Yamanaka and Sai
Since Naruto's beginning, Ino has been attracted to Sasuke along with Sakura, although Ino also takes an instant liking to Sai due to thinking he resembles Sasuke. Ino and Sai end up together by the end of Naruto Shippuden and have a child, Inojin, but their relationship doesn't have a lot of satisfying development and feels like a way to pair off two characters who didn't necessarily need it.
Ino's initial attraction to Sai is built around the fact that he looks like Sasuke, and Sai downright believes Ino is ugly when they meet. He calls her beautiful, the opposite of what he's thinking, to avoid getting punched like he had with Sakura. While they have good chemistry in Boruto, their buildup is lackluster, which leads to many fans questioning their relationship.
Sasuke Makes an Attempt on Sakura's Life
Sasuke Uchiha and Sakura Haruno
Although Sasuke and Sakura are one of Naruto's main pairings and have been built up since the first episode, they don't make sense together. Sasuke is initially annoyed and off-put by Sakura, and although she gains his respect as a teammate, their relationship is still rocky. During Sasuke's time defecting from Konoha, he doesn't hesitate to try to kill Sakura, who's only saved because of Kakashi's intervention.
Even as an official couple, Sasuke and Sakura don't work well together. Sasuke is emotionally unavailable and never around, with Sakura making excuses for his behavior instead of calling him out. Even Ino, who initially crushes on Sasuke just as hard, comments that she could never have a husband who's physically gone all the time like he is.
Orochimaru and Tsunade's Relationship Has Parallels to Sasuke and Sakura
Orochimaru and the Fifth Hokage, Lady Tsunade
Tsunade has various complicated relationships in Naruto, with Orochimaru being one of the most tragic. Their relationship parallels Sasuke and Sakura's, with both men defecting from Konoha after becoming obsessed with power and both girls initially preferring them to their other male teammates, Jiraiya and Naruto, respectively.
While Tsunade cared for Orochimaru as a teammate and might have crushed on him as a kid, any feelings on her end have vanished following the Konoha Crush and Orochimaru's request for her to heal his arms. He's too much of a threat to the Leaf Village for any respectable Hokage to consider having romantic relations with him, and Tsunade deserves someone who hasn't betrayed her and made attempts on her life.
Naruto Is Too Hyperactive and Childish for Tenten
Naruto Uzumaki and Tenten
When the cliché works, opposites attract because they complement the other, making up for their partner's weaknesses. In Naruto and Tenten's case, his hyperactivity, impulsivity and childish nature all directly clash with Tenten's quieter, mature personality and constant desire for peace. She's constantly around oddities and hyperactivity with her teammates, Lee and Might Guy, and likely wouldn't want it in a relationship as well.
Naruto and Tenten also suffer from the same issue that Hinata and Sasuke do, although it's more excusable for Tenten since she has the least screentime of any Konoha Eleven member. Naruto and Tenten almost never interact, especially when filler isn't taken into account, so it's hard to feel invested in them as a potential romantic pairing.
Sakura and Ino Are Better Off as Close Friends
Sakura Haruno and Ino Yamanaka
Sakura and Ino have been through a lot, starting out as close friends — with Ino being the one who helps Sakura bloom — and becoming bitter rivals by Naruto's first episode. This rivalry is spurred on by Sakura's desire to separate herself and her self-worth from her friendship with Ino and their mutual crush on Sasuke.
After regaining each other's respect during the Chunin Exams' Tournament arc, Sakura and Ino become closer than ever, eventually opening a mental health clinic together for children affected by war. They make incredible friends and push each other to be better in their pursuits of both love and becoming better ninjas, and they work best this way.
Kakashi and Iruka Don't Have Much in Common Aside From Being Naruto's Mentors
Kakashi Hatake and Iruka Umino
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Kakashi and Iruka have known each other for a long time and have both been irreplaceable mentor figures in Naruto Uzumaki's life. Anytime Iruka doubts either Naruto or his own abilities to mentor Naruto, Kakashi is usually the one who guides him onto the right path. They're a surprisingly popular pairing in Naruto's Japanese community, but the overwhelming majority of fans don't feel that they make sense together.
Their interactions are pleasant, but Kakashi almost acts more like a mentor to Iruka than anything else, just involving Naruto. They also suffer from the same issue as other potential Naruto pairings, as they just don't interact enough for a romance between them to feel believable.
Choji and Karui's Romance Lacks Buildup Because Karui Comes Out of Nowhere
Choji Akimichi and Karui
When just comparing their personalities, Choji and Karui get along fine. Both Karui and Choji are more laid-back people with fiery, outspoken sides, and they share a similar passion for food. The main issue with their relationship is that, as a character, Karui comes out of absolutely nowhere. It feels like she was only created and thrown into Naruto Shippuden so Choji had someone compatible to end up with.
It's not like every member of the Konoha Eleven ends up with someone, so having Choji remain single instead wouldn't have felt out of place. Giving Karui proper build-up with Choji beforehand would also eliminate the issue of their relationship feeling forced.
