Team 8/Awesome

"Neji: That's impossible.
 * Team 8 taking down a rogue shinobi right within the village in Chapter 4, after the three of them had been doing only D-rank missions up until then.
 * Kurenai tried concealing them with an invisibility genjutsu, but by the time she started it, Naruto & company took off completely on their own.
 * Naruto defeating the Kaiten by turning part of the arena into swampy ground and letting Neji screw himself ten feet underground.
 * "Neji," "screw." Beautiful.
 * Naruto vs. Sasuke during the Chuunin Exam preliminary battles. Naruto just watched Hinata get destroyed by a very spiteful Neji. Sasuke taunts Naruto, hoping he'll fight better than Hinata (this slams down hard on Naruto's Berserk Button). The "fight" lasts as long as it does for
 * Some people have claimed this is Epic Fail rather than awesome- but let us remind them of one fact:
 * After having all his tenketsu points closed by Neji's Jyuken strikes, Naruto blows them open with a technique he learned from sparring with Hinata. The resulting chakra pulse bowls over Hayate and sends Neji airborne.
 * An unforgettable Pre-Ass-Kicking One-Liner just after the above scene:

Naruto: Just as impossible as fighting against fate. Just as impossible as fighting a Jyuuken user hand to hand."

"Shino: I was able to deduce the existence of Naruto's prisoner through sparring and training with him. When Uzumaki-san indirectly broached the topic with me, he merely confirmed my deductions. As I told him at the time, I am neither stupid nor unobservant. Moreover, it is highly likely that, without the Kyuubi's chakra to draw on, our battle with the missing-nin would have had a far less optimal outcome.
 * Naruto puts his money where his mouth is and beats the stuffing out of the Hyuuga prodigy in taijutsu.
 * Naruto takes out a Missing-Nin who can turn his skin into steel with one punch that goes right through his body, with help from Kyuubi's power. This can also be considered a Curb Stomp Battle.
 * Hey, hey, what about Naruto pwning Gaara?
 * Shino, after figuring out that the Kyuubi had been sealed inside his teammate, verbally crucifies his clan's elders for their treatment of and attitude towards Naruto.

Suba Aburame: We are aware that the vessel itself is exempt from the Hokage's law, if it wishes to allow the truth to be known. But what is the nature of our clan's betrayal?

Shino: Your choice of pronoun speaks volumes, esteemed elder."

"Kakashi: I know you have no wish to do anything that might seem disrespectful to 's memory, so you'll stay right here and leave team alone to say goodbye as they wish to.
 * Kurenai in chapter 20 manages to escape Tsukuyomi.
 * Finding out the real reason Naruto ripped  face open at the end of their fight.
 * Kakashi and Asuma
 * Kakashi accomplishes this by  while Asuma goes with the direct approach:

Hiashi: (seething) You have no right to interfere with my clan!

Kakashi: No, I don't...but I do have a right to share any jutsu I've acquired. You know, 'Copy-Cat Ninja Kakashi' and all that. Bingo book says I know over a thousand. (nonchalant shrug) I know of at least two dozen that can neutralize or otherwise bypass eye bloodlines...like the Byakugan. Iruka's always after me to contribute some jutsu to the Academy curriculum, especially for their advanced jutsu workshops.

Hiashi: (pissed) That's treason!

Kakashi: No, not at all. I'm providing these to the village as a whole. Just because everyone else in the village learns how to fight against the Byakugan--if they have to--doesn't make it treason against Konoha, does it?

Asuma: I don't have anything half so elegant; I'll just kick your ass if you take one step towards those kids.

Hiashi: Do you really think you can do that?

Asuma: A few days ago, the two of us were fighting two of the most dangerous missing-nins in the world. We were out of position or too slow to save a valued comrade from being killed. Now here you are, someone clearly despised, trying to make an ass of yourself and disrupt  funeral. How can we not?"


 * Shino versus the snake. Owned.
 * Naruto winning his bet with.
 * He even uses Exact Words to his advantage.  Check and mate.
 * It's even better when you consider the entire thing is a Batman Gambit.  could have refused to carry on with the terms of the bet or  . But Naruto realizes that  and precisely uses them to his advantage.
 * fight against is great on several levels:
 * Awesome.
 * Hinata's reaction to Naruto being told by a school doctor that he's a monster


 * Sakura actually does something useful during the fight against Ouch.