Naruto is characterised as boisterous, exuberant and unorthodox, quite similar to Hashirama Senju. He inherited his mother's verbal tic, as he ends his sentences with when excited or frustrated. Though he responds best to competition and is not afraid to ask for assistance, Naruto is relatively naive, simple, and slow to understand principles or situations. He often requires an oversimplified analogy in order to grasp explanations, and can even forget some concepts that he himself noted earlier if he is too emotional. Naruto is aware of his faults, and admits he acts strong to mask his embarrassment and frustration about them. Despite his naivety, Naruto can be quite observant, picking up on things others miss and retaining information casually gathered through conversation.