Sasuke Uchiha is one of the main characters in Masashi Kishimoto's Naruto series. Introduced at the very beginning as a genius with terrific potential for the ninja arts, Sasuke was always destined for greatness.

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Naruto, on the other hand, was known to be talentless. Yet, the two have always progressed as shinobi together and while Naruto was stronger than him at some points, Sasuke proved to be stronger at others.

7 When He Awakened The Sharingan

Naruto Sasuke Uchiha Sharingan

Sasuke gained the power of the Sharingan during the Land of Waves arc. In the fight against Haku, he was finally able to tap into the power of this eye and keep track of the most intricate of Haku's movements. At this point, Sasuke was certainly a level above Naruto, who had no way to harness the power of the Nine-Tails other than to rage.

As the story progressed, Sasuke's control over this eye only got better. Meanwhile, it took Naruto quite a while to learn the ability to harness the power of the beast sealed within him.

6 When He Gained The Curse Seal

Sasuke Uchiha Curse Seal Power

Orochimaru planted the Cursed Seal of Heaven on Sasuke's neck in an attempt to make a powerful tool out of him. While his chances of survival were certainly low, Sasuke ended up living and, consequently, gained tremendous power.

With the Curse Mark, he was able to completely crush the likes of the Sound ninjas in the Chunin Exams. As the seal matured, Sasuke only got stronger and, at some points, was definitely above Naruto's level.

5 When He Defeated Naruto

Sasuke and Naruto fighting at the Valley of End

Sasuke and Naruto have engaged in quite a few fights over the course of the series. Their first proper fight came at the Valley of the End after Sasuke defected from the village in an attempt to gain more power from Orochimaru. Chasing him down, Naruto engaged him in combat at this valley and the two fought a drawn-out battle.

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While they were evenly matched, for the most part, Sasuke maturing his Sharingan and, at the same time, tapping into the full power of the Cursed Seal meant that he held the upper hand over Naruto. As such, he ended up defeating him and left the village successfully.

4 When They Met After The Timeskip

Naruto vs Sasuke Fourth Great Ninja War

Shortly after Sasuke defected from the village, the Naruto series witnessed a time skip where everyone trained to become stronger. Naruto trained under Jiraiya in an attempt to gain the power required to get Sasuke back to the village.

Meanwhile, Sasuke trained under Orochimaru to gain the power required to take down his brother, Itachi. When the two met at Orochimaru's hideout, Sasuke completely outclassed not just him but the entirety of Team 7 all alone. The difference in power between the two was staggering and it made Naruto realize that he needed to get even stronger.

3 When Sasuke Controlled The Mangekyo Sharingan

Sasuke Mangekyo Sharingan

After Itachi's death, Sasuke was able to harness the power of the Mangekyo Sharingan. While this eye certainly made him a better fighter based on the fact that it improved his visual prowess, Sasuke took quite some time to learn what it does.

In the fight against Killer Bee, Sasuke was outclassed for the majority of the time and could have even died twice. However, by the end of the fight, he gained the power of Amaterasu. At this point, Sasuke could potentially have been stronger than Naruto.

2 When Sasuke Wandered The World

Sasuke Uchiha in Boruto

After the conclusion of the Fourth Great Ninja War, Sasuke left on a journey of redemption and wanted to see the world with his own eyes. This journey of his lasted for years and even after Naruto became the Hokage, Sasuke was still traveling across the world and fighting.

Meanwhile, Naruto got rusty by staying in his office the entire time. Sasuke, on the other hand, was tracking down the traces of the Otsutsuki Clan and engaging in dangerous fights against those who stood in his way. Without a doubt, Sasuke was much sharper than Naruto at this point and was, potentially, stronger.

1 When Sasuke Lost His Rinnegan

Naruto Boruto Sasuke Chibaku Tensei Rinnegan Sharingan Jutsu

In Boruto, both Naruto and Sasuke end up losing some of their biggest abilities. Naruto lost the power of Kurama permanently after using Baryon Mode in the fight against Isshiki Otsutsuki. Sasuke, on the other hand, lost his Rinnegan after Boruto Uzumaki, possessed my Momoshiki, stabbed it.

Interestingly enough, Sasuke still has one of his Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan left, meaning he can still use the many abilities offered by this Kekkei Genkai. Naruto, on the other hand, cannot utilize the power of Kurama since the latter is dead. As such, Sasuke holds a slight advantage over him currently in the story.

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