Sakura Haruno often gets flak for her seeming "background involvement" with much of the events in the Naruto storyline. After all, the pink-haired kunoichi seemed rather mundane behind the growth of Naruto Uzumaki and revenge story of Sasuke Uchiha. Sadly, some fans still wonder about Sakura's true worth in the franchise.

RELATED: Things That Happened to Sakura After The Series Ended

Surprisingly, some fans may find that certain Sakura "details" are actually misunderstood and misconstrued. In fact, looking beyond the jokes and memes, Sakura possesses quite distinctive traits that make her just as worthy of praise as her teammates Naruto and Sasuke.

10 Wasn't Sakura A Simple Bookworm Compared To Her Peers?

Sakura seemed pale in comparison to the rest of Konoha 11, who all seemed to have their own shtick. Shikamaru even described her as a kunoichi "with no particular talent." Even Rock Lee who couldn't use chakra became a taijutsu prodigy. However, "bookworm" Sakura had her intelligence to set her apart from others as early as Part I.

For instance, Sakura in her days at the Academy demonstrated consistently high scores. Moreover, she's one of the rare few who answered the written portion of the Chunin Exams - the test that even proctors made extremely difficult to the point of expecting other genin to cheat. Thanks to her excellent memory and studiousness, she managed to become a Medical-nin under Lady Tsunade's strict tutelage.

9 Wouldn't Sakura's Booksmarts Become Useless In Combat?

If Sakura's purpose in Team 7 was to benefit from the more aggressive Naruto and Sasuke, wouldn't this imply her book smarts isn't useful in combat? Again, not necessarily. Sasuke himself admitted that Sakura's analytical prowess is more efficient than his Sharingan. Granted, his Sharingan didn't have complete tomoe at the time. However, earning the praise of a prodigy like Sasuke is a testament to Sakura's hidden potential.

When fighting, Sakura frequently takes note of multiple pieces of information to form possible approaches against enemies. For instance, she misled Sound Village shinobi into thinking they outsmarted her, as she wanted them to lower their guard. In the same battle, Sakura managed to not only set up a trap for them but also set up a fake one to lure them into position.

8 Didn't Sakura Shun Naruto?

Despite her frequent annoyance to Naruto's funnily annoying behavior, Sakura didn't necessarily shun Naruto the way other villagers did to him before. Granted, Sakura used to comedically bully him in the way a childish bully would. However, even Sakura acknowledged wanting to become nicer to Naruto. Acknowledging and accepting Naruto as a teammate and friend will become the crux of her relationship with him in Part 1.

Moreover, Sakura proved to become one of Naruto's closest confidants through the years. She consistently helped him on missions, supported his dreams, and defended him. Even Sakura in Part 1 became willing to forfeit the exams for the year just to give Naruto another shot at his dream of becoming the Hokage instead of failing and never being allowed back.

7 Wasn't Sakura Just A Damsel In Distress In Part 1?

Considering Naruto and Sasuke frequently rescuing Sakura throughout the Konoha Crush Arc, isn't she technically a damsel in distress? Not necessarily. Remember, Kakashi hoped Sakura could benefit from the more combative Naruto and Sasuke, while the latter could benefit from her intellect.

RELATED: Every Team Kakashi Has Been Part Of

Moreover, Sakura isn't totally a pushover in fights, either. She managed to score a tie in a fight against Ino Yamanaka, one of the top students in their class. She also displayed immense bravery in instances of immense struggle such as the determination to defend Sasuke from a rampaging Gaara when Naruto admitted he was closing to wetting himself from fear. In fact, it's Sakura's bravery that inspired both Naruto and Sasuke to fend off the One-Tails Jinchuriki.

6 Wasn't Sakura Obsessed With Sasuke?

Sakura detractors would fondly remember her rather unhealthy obsession with Sasuke as early as Part 1. In fact, it would only be late in Part 2 that Sakura would realize that they had to stop Sasuke no matter the cost. However, this "obsession" seemed only prevalent in the anime, as Sakura had much deeper feelings in the manga.

It's frequently hinted and sometimes mentioned in the manga that Sakura had pure love for Sasuke. Outside her romantic feelings, Sakura also shared Naruto's feelings of bringing Sasuke back, the way a loved one would search for a lost person they cared about.

5 Didn't Sakura Break Off Her Friendship With Ino Over Sasuke?

Sakura and Ino Yamanaka had a fierce rivalry in Part 1, to the point of settling their differences in their match in the Chunin Exams. However, a notable aspect of their "rivalry" happened when Sakura seemed to "break off" her friendship with Ino because she also liked Sasuke. However, Sasuke isn't the sole reason for their rivalry, and Sakura didn't pull a friendship-over with Ino.

Remember, Sakura looked up to Ino even when they were kids. It's heavily implied that Sakura felt trapped in Ino's shadow because of this. In their match, Sakura finally places her protector on her forehead to accept being on equal terms with Ino. In turn, Sasuke served as the final push Sakura needed to aspire going beyond her usual self.

4 Why Didn't Tsunade Teach Sakura Something Useful?

Fans can recall Sannin Jiraiya teaching Naruto finer control over the Kyubi in the time-skip, after having taught him the Rasengan in Part I. Likewise, in the same time-skip, Sannin Orochimaru taught Sasuke some of his Forbidden Jutsu, alongside mastery over the Cursed Seal. In turn, aside from having tremendous strength, did Tsunade teach Sakura something useful?

RELATED: Naruto: Best Games Every Ninja Fan Should Try

Aside from intense training in the medical arts, Tsunade tapped into Sakura's natural chakra control. By helping Sakura build more chakra in her body, Tsunade helped her complete her Strength of a Hundred Seal. At full capacity, Sakura can use it not just to augment her already-insane punches, but even use it like Tsunade to instantaneously recover from injuries. Unlike the more aggressive nature of Naruto and Sasuke's training, Sakura only brings out the big guns when necessary.

3 Wasn't Shizune The Better Disciple?

Tsunade wouldn't make an appearance - be it in the Hokage's office or in a casino - without her trusted aide Shizune. However, this unimposing kunoichi isn't just a glorified secretary. Rather, Shizune served as Tsunade's first disciple through and through. A Medical-nin herself, Shizune is adept with most healing arts, as well as the use of poisons.

However, while Tsunade trained Shizune first, Sakura became the better disciple. For instance, Sakura managed to master the Strength of a Hundred Seal, something Shizune herself admitted she couldn't accomplish. When Sasori poisoned Kankuro with a special venom, Sakura managed to create an antivenom within three days - something even Sunagakure's best doctors couldn't accomplish. Moreover, Shizune even acknowledged Sakura's ability not just to summon Lady Katsuyu but also to have her split apart to heal others.

2 Isn't Her Immense Strength A Bit Basic?

Against a taijutsu user, Sakura's techniques won't appear as flowery - especially when compared to the likes of Hinata's Gentle Fist. However, her immense strength could prove equal or even greater than the likes of Might Guy - someone Madara Uchiha deemed the Greatest Taijutsu User.

As fans recall, Guy had to use the lethal Eighth Gate of Death to match the empowered Madara in terms of strength. However, Sakura's Strength of a Hundred Seal - which only stored a few years worth of her chakra - proved powerful enough to deal damage to Kaguya Otsutsuki.

1 Didn't Sakura End Up Being An Ordinary Housewife?

In Boruto, Sasaukage Sasuke often left Konoha to scout for potential threats while Hokage Naruto managed internal affairs. As such, fans often saw Sakura tending to the Uchiha household as a housewife. However, Sakura's life as an adult is far from ordinary.

After the end of the Fourth Great Ninja War, she and Ino started a trauma clinic. Sakura also managed to help other Villages jumpstart their own trauma clinics after the success of their Konoha branch. Moreover, Sakura also serves as the head of the Konoha Medical Department and regularly taught Medical Ninjutsu in the Academy. Boruto, critical of Naruto's performance, noted that Sakura would prove a great replacement for a Hokage.

NEXT: Characters That Can Defeat Naruto (In An Eating Contest)