After the Pain Arc, Kishimoto found the Chunin Exams arc difficult to draw despite creating new characters. The Fourth Great Ninja War arc, while solid, had both best and weakest moments ...

Editors at Jump forced Kishimoto to draw the Chunin Exams arc, despite his reluctance, which led to major changes in the story. Kishimoto's original vision for Shikamaru to win the Chunin Exams ...