For 15 years, Naruto was a friend to us. We witnessed him struggle through life, empathized with him when he was scorned by those around him, rooted for him when he sought to grow much stronger, and — at the end of it all — celebrated his eventual victory.

Having the story close after 15 years and 720 episodes in total felt so bittersweet to fans who’ve grown up reading and watching Naruto. “An era has ended,” so they say. (That is, if they didn’t count the new Boruto: Naruto Next Generations anime.)

It still feels surreal having to finally say goodbye to him and every character we’ve grown to love. Naruto finally attained his greatest wish, to be Hokage, and it feels like a part of us had been taken when we read the final chapter or watched the final episode of the long-running series. So, to fuel our sentimentality at this moment, we look back fondly at all the unforgettable scenes in Naruto’s 720-episode run.

Here are our top 8!

Chuunin Exams

Everything that took place from beginning to end was unforgettable — from all of them having to find ways to cheat in the written exams to the team fights, to the individual battles. Sakura and Ino’s stand-off, Shikamaru’s ingenuity, Sasuke using the chidori in public, Naruto kicking Neji’s ass, and Gaara going berserk. It’s nice to look back at the fighting styles of the kids before and realize just how far they’ve gone.

Sasuke Retrieval Arc

This was definitely one of the highlights of Naruto pre-Shippuden. You’ve got some of the best boys in Naruto’s circle of friends take on a risky and life-threatening mission, fighting against older and stronger ninjas, for the sake of bringing Sasuke home safely. The entire arc showed great character developments and caused us to become a little bit too emotionally invested in the ragtag team. And if your first Naruto crushes weren’t any of those boys, then you’re probably lying to yourself.

This is also where the first Naruto VS Sasuke battle took place which, back then, had been the most dramatic fight there was.

Jiraiya’s death

Hands down, this was one of the most emotional deaths in Naruto history. It wasn’t an easy recovery for us because we felt a part of us die along with him; some of us might not even be completely over it especially not when he was killed by the hands of his former student — a student he loved like his own son! It’s painful to realize that certain character deaths were necessary to make Naruto grow even stronger, not just physically but also mentally and emotionally.

When Naruto finally meets his mother

We’ve pretty much heard a lot about Naruto’s father, the Fourth Hokage, but none has been said about his mother, Kushina. This scene was a defining moment especially for Naruto because it was then when he uncovered the truth about his being the vessel for the Kyuubi and when he felt his parents’ strong love for him that helped him overcome the hatred of the demon sealed within him. This was definitely one of the most heartwarming moments of Naruto that we’ve never expected but are glad to have happened.

When Itachi revealed his true mission to Sasuke

Every negative feeling we’ve harbored over Itachi in the past 15 years practically dissipated once we finally learned of Itachi’s story. We doubt there is any other character with a life much more tragic than his.

When Naruto finally befriends the Kyuubi

Another moment we’ve all waited for: the taming of the Kyuubi. Although it wasn’t really about “taming,” but more about reaching an understanding with one another and being able to co-exist, because the Kyuubi is more than just a tailed demon imprisoned in Naruto’s body. Kuruma was a part of him, and he was never meant to be “controlled.”

Naruto and Sasuke’s Final Battle

This was the showdown everyone had been waiting for. It was the battle to end all battles. All of Naruto’s and Sasuke’s efforts to become the strongest opponents they could be to one another have led to this, and we wouldn’t have wanted it to go any other way. It was purely satisfying to watch, with them going all out on each other without hesitation or unnecessary emotional drama. And after all these years, it’s safe for us to say that the 15-year wait for this epic battle had been worth it.

Naruto and Hinata’s wedding

The sad thing about this part is that it’s memorable for conflicting reasons among Naruto fans — there are those who are satisfied with the happily-ever-afters and certain ships becoming canon, while others disagree with the romances created “without basis.” Whichever side you stand by, it doesn’t change the fact that this ending is what gave rise to Boruto: Naruto Next Generations.

So the story hasn’t really ended yet even though we feel that it already has. As for how long it will take Boruto to finish, we aren’t really sure. All we know is that, even if it took him a long time, Naruto finally reached his happy ending. And there’s nothing else for the rest of us to feel but pure contentment.

Which of these moments was your favorite? Share with us you thoughts about it below!