After a recent nationwide "talk" about Sasuke's place in legendary ninja pantheon of greatness, "Naruto" fans everywhere have been debating and re-evaluating their own lists of their all-time favorite ninjas. I've thought long and hard about my own list, and after binge-watching old "Naruto," I've singled out the unworthy and have finalized a classic list of ninja OGs. Let me introduce my favorite Naruto characters:

Shikamaru Nara

He's hands down the laziest person in Konoha, but he's a tactful genius and his catalog proves it. He was the first of his class to become Chunnin, beating Shino and Neji.

He's beaten one of the Akatsuki's immortal members, beat Orochimaru's Sound 4 ninja with a last minute squad, and has an IQ of over 200. You can't find a ninja that's smarter or more clutch than Shikamaru.

Rock Lee

If "Naruto" didn't need to follow a strict plot around Naruto and Sasuke, Lee would be the strongest without a doubt, but that discussion's for later. Remember, this guy killed a reanimated Madara Uchiha with just one kick:

Also, this is the guy who overpowered Sasuke (with his leg weights on) and was in a completely different league from his peers:

He was mocked and sucked when he started, but Lee never used cheat codes to be a true ninja (unlike Sasuke). He even got a career-ending injury and came back stronger than ever. That's #MambaMentality and it proves Lee belongs on any top ninja list.

#RespectTheMentality

Itachi Uchiha

His story alone is the stuff of legends. Itachi stopped a civil war, killed off his entire clan -- including his parents who led a coup d'etat against Konoha -- and he still kept tabs on the village's safety.

Your heart can't help but feel for Itachi...

He got his Sharingan at age 8 and graduated from Ninja Academy at 9. He made Anbu at 11 and became a captain at 13. He's a once-in-a-generation genius and that's amazing, but what puts Itachi on my list is how he uses his skills. He's got the most resolve out of any ninja and maintains peace for Konoha by any means -- even if it's at the expense of his own happiness.

#HeroVillain #Respect

Kakashi Hatake

If you don't have Kakashi in your top five, something's wrong with you, man. He learned from the fourth Hokage, became the sixth Hokage, and taught the seventh Hokage. That's crazy AF. Plus, look at these moves:

Kakashi's got ice in the veins, man -- he's killed teammates, his father committed suicide, and his sensei died, tying him with Itachi for the "saddest life story" category. But instead of letting pain destroy him, Kakashi brings the pain to his foes.

You gotta respect the legacy of Copy Ninja Kakashi, the seasoned vet. #1000Jutsu

Minato Namikaze

Minato died right before his prime, but what he did before his death was crazy. This dude would literally wipe out 1,000-man squads during the war. He'd beat a thousand people by himself in one day. The craziest part is he'd do it in five seconds, like this:

You think you've got him, then BAM he's wiped out your whole squad while you blinked:

Plus, being Naruto's dad, Jiraiya's pupil and Kakashi's teacher doesn't hurt, ykno.

Sasuke Uchiha

LOL, Sasuke fans are like, "WTF, you hypocrite, you dissed Sasuke!" Yo, I never said Sasuke wasn't good. In fact, I said, "He's dope." Sasuke's on my list because he started as a natural talent that worked his butt off for results:

My beef with him started when he went to the Dark Side just to get a power up. He didn't need to do that. The only thing that going to the Akatsuki did was make Sasuke crazy, angry and psychotic AF:

But after Shippuden, he gets his head back on straight and actually does positive things for the next generation of ninja. I can't be made at that, especially if he teaches Naruto's son.

Naruto Uzumaki

The journey.

The destination.

He's the GOAT, you can't argue with it (but feel free to try).