From GameFaqs by TrialAndError

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For organization purposes, all characters will be listed in Alphabetical Order

Chouji:
Don't let Choji fool you. He may look and act slow, but this big guy has got some speed attacks in him. A mixture of speed and sloth like combos will leave your opponents hurting quickly. He's good with certain supports and is a close to mid range fighter.

Strengths:
Power. Chouji packs a serious punch, and his combos can add up to damage equal to a mediocre Ultimate Jutsu. His Down OOO combo mixed with a basic OO, then pause, to hit another Down OOOOO combo can take a full bar away.

Human Boulder. Chouji's jutsu hits quick when up close and rolls over most small traps. When it does it, it takes 50% of one health bar away. It's a combo in itself

Defense. Chouji's slow tendency means you won't be going for crazy combos, so it helps in the long run. He's good on substitution, so utilize it well and quickly. Hit with a quick support one shotter for good damage. He can take a good combo too, and is good with recovery.

Support. InoShikaCho is a great combination when Shikamaru's support is just explosion tags, and Ino's is explosion flowers. Whenever your opponent subs behind, hit 'em with a quick explosion. Ino's generally knocks you up, so charge that Human Boulder for when they dodge the final explosion.

Chakra Dash. Chouji can roll over and through traps like Sakura's Booby Trap and through Ten Ten's mine field. He's surprisingly fast too, so it catches even the best opponent off guard. Throw in a slow OOO combo, then pause, then Down OOO fast combo, and revel in the damage caused.

Weaknesses:
Speed. Chouji is not the best against Speen Demons. But his sub is good to get you out of it. Try not to mash O, because anyone can see Chouji's base combo coming 10 miles away.

Chakra Control. Chouji uses up a lot of chakra for his Human Boulder. Use sparingly, and intelligently.

Ninja Tools. Minus Chouji's Chakra Regain (potato chips), he's slow to throw his bombs. His stat increase isn't effective enough to call a boost, and Shurikens generally are used for strategic purposes. His chakra Shuriken however is a Fuuma Shuriken so that can help stop an opponent for a bit.

Ultimate Jutsu. It just doesn't do enough damage. A little more than a bar and 1/4, it has a slow start. He expands his hand and tries to grab you. Not efficient and leaves you wide open for both Support attacks and combos.

Throws. You can do without it.

Air Attack. Chouji rarely gets his opponent in the air. If he does, he doesn't dash fast enough to hit them and continue a combo. It's a tough call, and one that should be avoided on Insane with a crazy Handicap.

Supports:
InoShikaCho. Great combination. Any Support who hits a hard explosive attack, generally in an upward direction.

Bad Supports include Sakura, Ten Ten, and Kimmimaro (since he knocks your opponent too far away for you to attack)

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Gaara:
Gaara is one of the hardest characters to master, and if you aren't careful you'll be on the receiving end of a lot of attacks. However, he has some good qualities that no other character has. He's a mid range fighter only.

Strengths:
Gaara is one of the slowest characters, meaning he's a heavy hitter, but, he is also a combo user. His OOOOO Combos and OOOO^OOO combos keep your opponent at a good distance, but they can easily substitute against you which brings me to this.

The opponents substitution. Utilizing Gaara's ^OOOOO you opponents will substitute in place more than 50% of the time, meaning, they won't be behind you for an attack. That substitution leaves them wide open to start another combo with >O, executing a full defense and offense since the sand attacks all around Gaara, or finish it with a Sand Shuriken Jutsu. If Gaara connects with it, it's 39 Hit Combo taking away a full bar of life almost. This is highly highly effective.

CloseRange Supports. Characters like Rock Lee, Neji, and Temari are good to have around Gaara since he's slow to react. Keep them hand to either take an incoming combo, or to stop your opponent in their track so you can charge chakra.

Defense. Block a lot with Gaara. His guard doesn't break nearly as quickly and he takes no damage and he doesn't stutter back since his sand is blocking all attacks.

Recovery. When Gaara recovers in the air, he's slow, which entices your opponent to dash up after you. Use this momentum to Combo them back down since it's highly effective. Same as on the ground. His recovery on the ground is slow, but you can link it into a quick ^OOOO combo.

Weaknesses:
Gaara's chakra depletes very quickly with his Sabaku Soso (Sand Burial) jutsu. It's generally not effective at all, even though it's fun to watch. it can easily be cancelled by a Shuriken Jutsu, which uses less than have the chakra of Gaara's Sand Burial.

Chakra Dashing also uses a quite a bit of chakra, so try to stay on the defensive, utilizing your team of supports and your fully defensive sand attacks. Try not to combo for too long too. Go in for damage hits. He's also slower than most normal dashes for regular opponents.

Speed. Gaara chugs along very slowly and even his substitution causes a pause in movement since the sand animation is slower than the logs.

Supports:
Mentioned earlier that close range fighters are good to have.
LongRange jutsu supports are also good.

Gaara goes well with most supports, as long as you time your attacks well.

Gaara: continued

If you want to be able to pull off the Sand Burial, there is a good way to do it. Whenever your opponent starts jumping and throwing a ton of Shuriken at you, activate it immediately. It will cancel the attacks and catch them as they land.

Be wary of Gaara getting knocked down too, since he loses a lot of Chakra unlike most characters.

Don't get too close to your opponent, because once you start a mid ranged combo, you'll be stuck in an animation, but you will be attacking behind your opponent.

That's deadly for you.

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Guy:
Although you wouldn't think it, Guy is one of the slower tiered characters, and for the most part, his melee attacks do average damage. But you can destroy your opponent with a sound routine. He is close range and long range, with some help in between.

Strengths:
Dynamic Entry. Keep your opponent guessing with this ace. Start a quick OOO combo then quickly attack with a Dynamic Entry. Charge it slightly, halfway, or fully other times (when your opponent is a good distance) and you will catch them quite a bit. When fully charged, plan your next attack because your opponent will most likely substitute. That's when you call in a quick trap support.

Chakra Control. Guy loses a lot of Chakra when knocked down, but you won't be knocked down often using him. His dynamic entry takes a little more than 15% of your chakra, and when he knocks you back, he can recharge all of his chakra easily.

Supports. Guy needs a mixture of greens and meat to make his salad whole. Kakashi with a Goukakyu (Fireball) or Itachi, Hinata's Double Palm, Jiraiya's Rasengan, etc. are good for those pesky combo users to keep them back and wary of your next move. Keep another Defensive Support handy since Guy has no defensive attacks. Neji, Shikamaru's bombs, Ino, Ten Ten, and Sakura are good for stopping your opponent who's too close to you.

Defense. Guy is quick on his substitution and can Dynamic Entry or activate his Ultimate Jutsu soundly. They both have a great range too, so even if your opponent anticipates a sub and jumps back, you will catch them more often than not. He can take a licking like no other, and usually stays on his feet, which is good for maintaining chakra.

Awakening. Guy needs to have 2 and 1/4 bars of life taken away to activate his Gates, but he can do so easily with the help of his support. Once charged, Guy is scary to be against. A Triangle O, will send him whizzing across screen to take away 65% of one bar, let alone his Ultimate Jutsu.

Ninja Tools. Guy has an increased attack, and two decreases for your opponent. You'll notice the difference in your opponents defense and offense, especially in Gate mode.

Weaknesses:
Combos. Guy is slow and predictable, and his combos mimic each other, leaving no real room for variation. Your opponent will always time your attacks to substitute, so don't start mashing O in desperation.

Offense. Guy's attacks do only moderate damage, and for ninja who specializes in taijutsu, that's pretty bad. Since his combos are easily stopped, a sound offense requires good timing on his hard hitting attacks and supports. Not the best to use for melee.

Speed Demons. Guy can do little against those incredibly fast combo users and attacks. Even if he substitutes, he can't do much on the offense immediately. Keep those opponents back and on the ground so you can go for the quick kills.

Supports:
Good Supports mentioned above.
Bad Supports include Temari, Rock Lee, and Kabuto (since his Feather Illusion may put them to sleep, but once you hit them they awake, and will sub on you fast!)

Hinata:
Although not the fastest of the two, Hinata is the more effective Hyuuga. She has an average speed, great ninja tools, and has quick and devastating combos. She is a short range fighter with long range support.

Strengths:
Quick Combo to Jutsu. Hinata can link combos from basic OOOO to Up OOOO, and >OOOO and then finish off with a quick Triangle+O (the best one is Heaven's Dance of Hazy White). That combination will take almost 75% of one bar of life away.

Strategic Combos. Pause in between in Hinata's strikes to hit a more successful combo. You'll often catch your opponent trying to block and anticipate another move, in which you can link to a throw.

Awakening. Same as Neji, she can activate it very quickly in battle.

Ninja Tools. Hinata's Chakra Boost helps when you need a quick fix for a jutsu and she has two stat decrease items for your quick opponents. She can throw these easily when side dodging and will always connect if time right.

Supports. Hinata needs a Shino, Kakashi's Fang Pursuit, Kimmimaro's Camelia or Larch, to occupy her opponent so she can activate her Ultimate. Otherwise, don't try to pull it off.

Weaknesses:
Ultimate Jutsu. Just like Neji, it's slow and rarely connects. Use wisely, mainly with Ground Scamper Insects to knock your opponent up, so they land right into it.

Even then they may recover and dodge away mid air.

Defense. Hinata takes damage easily and can be on the receiving end of a hard combo. Her timing has to be right for substitution, but it's rare that you'll be doing it back to back.

Speed Demons. Using Hinata, it's easy to get locked into a combo animation, only to be substituted on, and then whacked with a crazy combo.

Throws. Try to not use her throws too much. They are easy to spot, and leave you wide open for damage from a support linked combo.

Supports:
Mentioned above. All supports with long ranged jutsu that keep the user in one spot, and not dashing towards your opponent only to get knocked out.

Bad supports include Tsunade and Rock Lee.

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Ino:
Ino's greatest strength is her diversity in combos. She's a fast close combat combo user, and long range jutsu user. She's an all around good character that should be used for those who need practice.

Strengths:
Combos. Ino's combo diversity allow her to switch on the fly. You can start a Basic OOO combo, pause, the UP OOO for a well placed stomp combo. Then wait 1 second and call in Chouji for his Expansion Support and add an extra smack on your opponent. If your opponent happens to dodge or substitute on you, perfect opportunity for a 16-Hit Jutsu or Flower Bomb Jutsu. Her Up OOO combo is perfect to continue quickly, because she's already in the air which means no dashing to your opponent required.

Ninja Tools. Ino is fast already, and she has a tool to increase her speed. She also has a Sleep Tag, but be careful not to combo it with an Ultimate. She'll go flying across the screen away from her opponent. She also has 3 Explosion Tags, perfect for when you sub on a combo. Just toss on instantly to stop that opponent in their tracks. To top it off, her shuriken are poisoned flowers. It gives you a reason to toss them.

Supports. Ino does very well with large support types. Jiraiya's Bringing Down the House, Chouji's Expansion, and Tsunade's Heavenly Kick are good examples. You don't want your support stealing your shine in your combo by knocking them away, you want them to momentarily keep them occupied or stun them.

Chakra Control. Ino's jutsu barely use any chakra, and her Ultimate only costs 50% of her bar.

Weaknesses:
Ultimate Jutsu. Ino dashes so far that she'll often miss her opponent. You'll need to have great timing and a trained eye on distance to pull this off effectively.

Damage per hit. She can hit and land many combos, but her jutsu and combo don't do quite as much damage as they look like they should. Her Ultimate Jutsu takes away little more than one whole bar, which means it's not a deal breaker by any means. Pause between combos and poison your opponent to rack up more damage.

Damage Control. Ino can't keep taking a licking from moderate to heavy hitters, and anytime she's hit with a big jutsu, she's hit hard. She can substitute better than half the roster, but she's still easily damaged.

Supports:
Mentioned above. Use heavy hitters or one shotters if you're having difficulty maintaining health. It'll knock your opponent back after you're down, so you can re-strategize.

Bad supports include Shikamaru, Ten Ten, and Kabuto.

Itachi:
Itachi is a quick fighter, with a very limited combo base. He's either long range or close range with not much in between.

Strengths:
Itachi's Exploding Clone is one of the best jutsu in the game. They are invincible and impenetrable until contact or time limit is up. You can create up to 4 clones in one chakra bar, and you can also use them as a wall to block almost ALL incoming attacks, whether it be a jutsu, support, or Shuriken attack, and they will not explode unless your opponent or support touches them contact wise. They are a perfect distraction to help you activate Itachi's Mangekyou Sharingan Awakening Mode. And are invisible to your attacks, which means you can throw shuriken or call a support to do a jutsu right through them.

Itachi's substitution is also one of the better ones, since it doesn't create an obvious log. He teleports behind the opponent usually without the opponent noticing it. This is great for long combo opponents, since once they are locked into an animation, they can't block any incoming attack.

Itachi's basic combo allows for him to substitute behind his opponent more than once, including an air attack, which makes it hard to guess when the attack is coming. It's the basic OOOOO or >OOOOO.

His ninja tools are decent, since he has an auto substitution, and explosion tags. Itachi's attacks are heavy on fire, which always knock the opponent on the ground.

Itachi is good against slower opponents but heavy hitters like Chouji, Tsunade, Jiraiya, etc.

Weaknesses:
Itachi's grab is very slow, and is close range, which leaves you wide open to jutsu, shuriken and support attacks. Never use it, since it's minimal damage is rarely connects.

Itachi is susceptible to quick opponents, since he doesn't move that fast himself. Keep your distance and try to make your opponent come to you.

Ultimate Justu. His should only be used once in awakening mode since it's range is too short, and leaves you wide open once it's span "breaks".

Supports:
Good supports include users like Kakashi and Sasuke equipped with Fire Jutsu to keep your opponent at bay. Neji is also good with Kaiten along with Exploding Clones to create a barrier.

Bad supports include users like Rock Lee and all opponents who use close range attacks.

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Jiraiya:
Good offense and defense, this slow and clumsy fighter can bring the pain, while strategizing a good defense. He's close and long range, and doesn't need supports to help out his efforts.

Strengths:
Jiraiya's combos look slow, but they're so awkward in movement, that you're likely to hit your opponent at least 3 times on most occasions. You can even charge you're Bringing Down the House Jutsu in between to stun a cornered opponent and wipe out all supports in one shot, then hit a good Ultimate Impact Blow.

Defense. Jiraiya is awesome for substitutions and takes a good licking. His offensive maneuvers are great defense as well, including his Down or Up OOO combination, which summons a Giant Toad. The best part about this summon is that depending on how many times you press O, your Toad will hop that amount.

Press O once, and it will block your path for lower tiered jutsu. Press it three times, and it will push your opponent back. Even if your opponent isn't in the line of fire, they will side step for extra room, giving you a little time to charge a Rasengan for a faster attack.

Rasengan. Since Jiraiya does it one handed, it's not as obvious as Naruto's. A quick charge of Triangle and O will hit an opponent at least 5 steps away from you, and land a 15-Hit combo for heavy damage.

Weaknesses:
Supports. Since Jiraiya uses both offense and defense in his battles, it's tough to find a good match for him. Even one shotters like Itachi don't necessarily mesh with his style, since his Fireball will leave your opponent far away. This Hermit likes to play it solo, since he needs to set up his attacks in patterns for effectiveness.

Ultimate Jutsu. Although its very powerful, especially in Sannin Mode, it's slow to boot since he swings his hair. It's range is decent, but it can be easily substituted on.

Speed. His clumsiness in movement deter him from long combos, so try not to mash his Basic one. If you do land it, after the hair attack, don't try to dash in the air, instead, Bring Down the House!

Air attack. It's slow, wonky, and he can't get to you in time. Jiraiya isn't an air person anyway...

Supports:
I usually do the Sannin thing just for kicks, but rarely call them in. It's up to you, but Jiraiya isn't a good match with anyone. Perhaps a Naruto equipped with Fuuma Shuriken and Rasengan as well. Then again,

that's also for kicks.

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Kabuto:
Kabuto should be saved for great strategists. Although he seems very easy to use, he's very tactical, and that can be key for garnering a near flawless victory. He's mostly close range for combat, but strategic planning can make him all ranges.

Strengths:
Kabuto's Down OOOO combo is his best combo. It's best to have a support start an attack for you and let your opponent substitute, then bring the pain with this simple combo. It's various chakra palm strikes, but they come from every angle, making it difficult to read against and counter.

Feather Illusion Jutsu. This chargeable jutsu doesn't need to be charged at all. (Sidenote: Kabuto moves like a zombie when inside of the barrier for the Feather Illusion) His handseals slow down the move, but a well placed substitution leaves your opponent wide open for an Ultimate Jutsu.

Supports. Your support characters are key to your strategy. Never call two of them at the same time. Sakura's Booby Trap is excellent to set up to a Feather Illusion Jutsu. Use them one at a time since your opponent will always use one after the other. Always have one on hand, preferably a trap setter like Sakura or Ten Ten.

Speed. Kabuto is average in speed, but his attacks are quick and sporadic.

Awakening. Perhaps the most useful awakening in the game (second to this would be Itachi's), instead of providing a strength boost, Kabuto heals himself automatically no matter what he does. This can be great when straying far away from your opponent and trapping them consistently, and can turn the tides quickly.

Weaknesses:
Defense. Kabuto is great on the substitution, but takes a lot of damage when attacked. Keep your opponents combos to a minimum, especially heavy hitters like the Third and Tsunade who's attacks do more damage on Kabuto than anyone else it seems.

Chakra Control. Kabuto doesn't seem to use much, but you'll find yourself dashing towards long range opponents moreso than not. He eats up quite a bit of chakra on his dashes, and his Feather Illusion should only be used twice in one bar if need be. On the second one, use it as a barrier to charge more chakra.

Supports:
As stated before, the best supports are trap supports like Sakura, Shikamaru, Ten Ten, etc.
However, Kabuto's strategies change depending on your supports.

If you want to stray away from traps and go for long range heavy attacks, switch to Sasuke, Itachi, Kakashi, Jiraiya, and the Third.

If you want to be strictly close range, choose Rock Lee, Neji, Chouji, and Tsunade, since they hit heavy. Lure them in with Feather Illusion and damage them with a Support to knock them back.

If you insist on mid range, choose Naruto or Kiba, since they're attacks follow the target for a short time. This will help you charge chakra or even hit an Ultimate.

For long range keep-at-bay attacks, choose Shino, Gaara, and Hinata. Shino and Gaara's attack chase the opponent, putting them on the defensive, and Hinata's knocks them back quickly in case you need a breather.

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Kakashi:
Kakashi is t he best character to use if you want to have a mix of strategy, combos, strength, good support system, and defense. He is all ranges as well.

Strengths:
Supports. Kakashi's best asset are fire supports on defense, and here's why. Whenever your opponent catches you in a combo and knocks you down, call in an Itachi for one easy knockback, equal to the combo you just received. Supports like The Third are great for distraction and can easily lead you to an air combo or stop someone dashing in. Fire supports generally knock away any of your opponents incoming supports or jutsu as well.

Combos. Kakashi's basic OOOOO and >OOOO can be linked and do decent damage, as well as it's hard to defend against. If your opponent manages to catch a substitution they are momentarily paused, since Kakashi is usually either in the air or behind the opponent finishing his animation. Kakashi's Down O Fang Pursuit Combo is used effectively against air style jutsu like Housenka. Jump in the air to guide the fire away from the ground, and land with a Fang Pursuit. Sasuke will be stuck in an animation and is easily caught by this.

Jutsu. Kakashi's Fang Pursuit Jutsu can be used similar to the combo, but it has a delay for the Kuchiyose (Summoning) animation. It does follow the opponent, and keeps them on the defensive so you can call in a Fire Support to hit an attack. His Raikiri (Lightning Blade), and Goukakyu (Fireball) take minimal chakra are equally effective against long ranged and close combat opponents. Using the Raikiri is better than the chakra dash since it's impact is much faster and it stops supports easily.

Ninja Tools. Strategic planning with Kakashi's Exploding Tags are essential in timing. Most opponents use tags to keep you away or to counter another tool. Kakashi's tags are to be used offensively, since he has a great emphasis on Fire. Distract your mid ranged opponent with a stationary support attack (Kaiten or Gamaryuu Endan) and side dodge inwards to hit them with a tag. They'll be hit twice if timed correctly.

Awakening. The Sharingan Awakening acts as an auto-sub which is useful when you're low on health. It subs you in place 50% of the time, which allow you to utilize a quick distraction of a support to combo.

Ultimate Jutsu. Much like Kabuto, Kakashi goes underground and then reappears to hit this. However, unlike Kabuto, you don't need to plan a strategy to lure your opponent in. Once the opponent calls in a Support, this set up can be used effectively, especially as a distraction for one of your Support attacks.

Weaknesses:
Chakra Control Defense. When Kakashi is knocked down or back, he loses a lot of Chakra. Be careful of combo users and heavy hitters.

Poor use of Kakashi is his weakness as well. If you don't plan your strategy around your opponent, then you'll be on the receiving end. Kakashi is great for adjusting to his opponents attacks, so don't just charge in if your opponent is heavy on defense.

Supports:
Fire Users and stationary support attacks.

Bad supports include Kiba, Chouji, and Kisame (Water Shark Bomb is useless for both him and Kakashi, but does look funny if you time them together).

Kankuro:
By far the hardest character to master, only one s with a sound plan should ever try to use him on Insane. His Weaknesses outweigh his Strengths, but if you use him right, you'll come out on top. He's a long-ranged fighter who has a heavy emphasis on defense first.

Strengths:
Shurikens. Kankuro's Shuriken are 3 poisoned balls. The Chakra one is just 1 rolling ball, so it's suggested to use the Shurikens instead. These slowly poison your enemy, depleting their health for a short period of time, so use them quickly and often to help wittle down your opponents health.

Puppet May Shower. This attack sends his puppet flying anywhere the opponent is on the field and drops a bunch of bombs on them. Use this jutsu sparingly because it leaves you WIDE open for a fast combo.

Defense. Similar to Itachi's clones, Kankuro has a built in wall. His puppet. A Goukakyu will down the puppet, leaving you open for attack, but the attack doesn't connect on you, leaving you unscathed. Shurikens, supports and other jutsus are blocked well. Kankuro's guard doesn't break fast at all, giving you the most out of blocking. You'll find yourself blocking quite a bit against jutsu users. You can also charge your chakra much better with this wall.

Combos. Kankuro sends his puppet to do all the work for him so a quick Down OOO to a throw works wonders on an opponent.

SUPPORTS!!!!! Kankuro's victory rest in his team. Bad supports will most certainly spell disaster for you. Good support with high damage that knockback your opponents help tremendously. One's like Hinata, Naruto, Tsunade's Punch, and Neji are recommended for close ranged attacks and defensive purposes.

Weaknesses:
Combos. Kankuro's puppet will go soaring towards the opponent quickly, but is slow to return to you. If any opponent side steps then dashes into you, you're wide open for a combo attack.

Defense. Both a strength and weakness, Kankuro takes heavy damage when hit directly, since his puppet takes the brunt of attacks with no health risk. He's slow to substitute and even when he does, his puppet has to reset close to the opponent to start attacking again.

Offense. Kankuro's puppet does very little damage in it's combos when connected. Even the Puppet Coffin jutsu takes only about 40% of one life bar away, which isn't going to win you any matches quickly.

Speed. Kankuro sends his puppet out faster than he can move. If your opponent is far in the distance and substitutes, he will appear behind you and damage you badly, since Kankuro doesn't turn around fast enough to react. You'll need to call in supports at the right time always. A bad L1 or R1 press will leave you without a support and near defeat.

Ninja Tools. Kankuro has a poison tag which is useless since he already throws poison balls, explosion tags with little range in comparison to most, and bombs which are pointless since you have it in a jutsu. To strategize around them is harsh since your own attacks work better than they do.

Supports:
As stated before, you'll need supports with heavy knockback attacks. You need to do more damage with Kankuro so Itachi, Kakashi, Sasuke, Naruto, Kiba's Gatsuga, Hinata, Neji, and Tsunade's Punch work well to keep any combos against you to a minimum. Kimmimaro Larch Dance works well to start a great air combo to Ultimate.

Bad Supports include Gaara, Temari, Rock Lee, Kabuto, and even Orochimaru.

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Kiba:
Kiba is a good mid to close combat fighter and can utilize jutsu in his combos very effectively. Supports are a big strength for Kiba.

Strengths:
Fang over Fang Jutsu (Gatsuga). Kiba jutsu is lightning quick, despite the fact that it's chargeable. Include it at the end of a basic OOO combo to do some heavy damage as well as knockback your opponent. It has a good range, and although it follows the opponent slightly, it's a straightforward attack. It's best used in close range.

Throw. Kiba's throw animation looks like a regular swipe attack and is moderate in speed. Once connected, it deals a good amount of damage and is great for stopping Heavy Hitters in their tracks. It's also the perfect set-up for his Ultimate Jutsu, since he stands in place for a good while, and can catch an opponent arising.

Supports. Kiba is only good as his team is, since his combos are his weakness (not in attack or speed though). Trap artists (Kabuto, Ten Ten, Sakura) are good for

Kiba strategists to help counteract his low defense, because believe me, your opponent will substitute on you often! Neji's Kaiten is effective as a trap as well, but not as an offensive maneuver. Coincidentally, Shino is a good Support for Kiba combo users since his attacks leave your opponent in the air, where Kiba is the most effective. The best ones for Kiba are one shotters like Jiraiya, Itachi, Sasuke, and Kakashi.

Awakening. Like Neji, Kiba can activate his awakening very quickly in battle, causing his damage to increase.

Ultimate Jutsu. When used with a knockdown attack like Kiba's throw, this ultimate in his regular state takes away pretty much one and half of your opponents life bar. It's a tide-turner for sure, and can spell victory for you many times.

Weaknesses:
Combos. Kiba seems like he'd be good with combos since he's fast, but don't let that fool you. His Down O combo send Akamaru after an opponent, and is very ineffective against fast opponents or heavy hitters. Slower opponents are usually easy to catch (Chouji and Gaara) but since they do great damage, it's hard to constantly use it.

Defense. Kiba's combos are all very easy to counter, so keep that in mind. The key here is to make use of a quick two or three button combo, while charging you're chakra once in between the combo. End it with a quick Gatsuga for great damage (about half a life bar)

Supports:
Kiba needs great supports that complement his fast hitting style. Naturally Kiba is a combo user, but on Insane, he has to be fast and heavy hitter. Using characters like Jiraiya's Rasengan, all Sharingan users Goukakyu will spell easier victory for you. But if you want to master him, stick with Shino, Kimmimaro, or Orochimaru to help him start effective air combos.

Bad supports include Rock Lee, Tsunade and Temari.

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Kimmimaro:
The easiest character to use by far, Kimmimaro is fast, effective, and damaging if you use him right. He's close range, but doesn't seem like it since he's fast on movement.

Strengths:
Combos. Kimmimaro's OOOO, OOO>OOOO, OOOO^OOO, and Down OOOOO combos are effective and easy to pull off. He's fast, but his combos pause momentarily, making it hard to judge when he's gonna move next. Your opponent would have to know his attack pattern well in order to substitute, and even then Kimmimaro can stop mid combo to substitute back.

Throws. Kimmimaro's throw is quick to boot, and is effective once he substitutes. His Substitution is fast as well, and he is very good defensively.

Larch Dance. You can end a combo with it, stop a combo with it, defend against all supports, and do good damage. It's weakness is explosion tags and fire jutsu, as well as Sakura's Booby Trap, since he can easily dance into it.

Bone Kunai Toss. Much like Ten Ten, he can throw quite a bit of these for a small combo starter, or just by themselves.

Weaknesses:
His Larch Dance is a set animation which means you'll be wide open if you miss the attack. You pause momentarily once it's done.

Your opponents supports. Your opponents supports can become a hassle since on Insane, the A.I uses them very effectively. If you aren't careful, you'll be on the receiving end of a long combo to knockback.

Ultimate Jutsu. It has a short range, but is a fast attack. However it's damage is average, therefore combos are more effective.

Supports:
Neji's Kaiten is an excellent support for defensive purposes in case you get caught in an animation. Sasuke's Phoenix Flower Jutsu is also good for long range since Kimmimaro has a very short range.

Rock Lee is a bad match for Kimmimaro despite being his equal in taijutsu in the anime/manga.

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Kisame:
Kisame is a great attacker when it comes to minimizing the movements of your opponent. He's a powerhouse close range but slow to attack.

Strengths:
Kisame's OOOOO combo and >OOOOO combo are great for keeping your opponent constantly attacked quickly. His sword shaves quickly and only skilled players will be able to substitute in mid attack. Both combos can be linked together for maximum damage.

Strength. Much like his anime/manga counterpart, Kisame is powerhouse. His attacks may be slower than most, but he makes up for it in quick damage. His combos are small as well, so go in quickly and combo to a knockback.

Shark Bomb. Once you knock your opponent back, go for a shark bomb. His handseal motion and Shark's animation make up for the time it take for the opponent to get up. Time perfectly, you can use that as extra hit, rather than the "downed opponent" attack.

Kisame Down O attack is effective against blocking opponents, since it brings them very close to guard brake/dizzy state. Use it against heavy blockers, since it's a forward dash (mid range). A few more attacks will break them allowing you for heavy damage!

Kisame's throw is effective only once you've substituted. When your opponent is locked in an animation a well timed substitution can lead to an easy throw. Since he swings his sword to start, you don't need to be directly next to your opponent.

Weaknesses:
Air attacks. Getting Kisame in the air can be a drag. He's slow and his air combo starter is devilishly slow. So slow that I wouldn't recommend it as it leaves you wide open.

Ultimate Jutsu. Kisame charges first then swings. It's easy to see and just by tapping back on the analog is easily avoidable.

Jutsu. Kisame loves his handseals, so it's recommended only to do this from very far, or timed with a knockback attack. It leaves you wide open.

Supports:
Itachi and Kisame go well together, especially Itachi's Katon: Gouenkyuu attack (FireBall Jutsu). The fireball usually tracks the opponent for a bit, and a well timed Shark Bomb makes this combo effective and looks great.

Bad supports include characters like Orochimaru since it's hard to time the two combo's together. Kisame's attacks keep the opponent grounded and Orochimaru's attacks upwards.

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Naruto:
Naruto is your basic character, and is good for mid to close range combat. However his attacks range from fast, to heavy, and depending on how you utilize him, can be long ranged as well.

Strengths:
Naruto's Down O attack is good to catch an opponent off guard if you're one to use combos a lot. It sends clones out towards your opponent, while you stay far away allowing your clones to do all the work.

Fuuma Shuriken. It's a great ranged attack since it's thrown for a long distance. Once it connects, it's a quick combo that knocks your opponent away and keeps them down for a bit. If you miss, then you're thrown far away from your opponent, keeping you at bay from incoming attacks. It's also good for guard breaks.

Rasengan. Charging Rasengan may be a bit difficult, so charge it once you do knockback blow. A full charge ends when the opponent gets up, and you're movement is so fast, it's hard for them to counter. A fully charged Rasengan does great damage.

Awakening. Hard to pull off as well, but once you're in the Kyuubi state, your range changes. You're Shuriken attacks become wind bombs and you're movements become much faster. Naruto also side steps much better in this mode and can connect with his Ultimate with a perfectly timed side step.

Weaknesses:
Naruto is slow to counter, and his regular OOOOO or >OOOO combos are slow. Stick to more Jutsu attacks and quick attacks against fast opponents.

Naruto's regular Ultimate is easily dodged and is chereographed, so anyone can see it coming a mile away. It's range is decent, but it's a straightforward motion, leaving you wide open.

Supports. It's hard to find a good Support to play to Naruto's strengths since he's not combo effective. However, he himself is an excellent support for combos!

Supports:
While it is hard to compliment Naruto, a good choice would be characters like Shino or Sakura. Shino's attacks usually put your opponent on the defensive and keep them away, and Sakura's Booby Trap (lol) is great for setting traps for opponents who love dashing in. Kakashi is also a good choice

Bad supports include Kabuto, since both Feather Illusion and Naruto's combo is slow. It's hard to catch anyone sleeping unless they're new to the game.

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Neji:
Neji is a quick striker used to effective close range combat. However his speed in attack is also his weakness. But, he does have an effective defense as well to counteract this flaw.

Strengths:
Combos. Neji's strength lies in the speed of his attack. His hands are fast, and his Basic OOOOO or >OOOOO are good for damage and knockbacks.

Kaiten (Heavenly Rotation). Neji can link this jutsu at the end of any ground combo, and it doesn't need to be charged to do at least 20 - 30 Hits on your opponent. If charged even a little bit, it can stop all Support attacks and incoming jutsu. It's a great offense and defense. If charged fully, he will spin for a bit more than 5 seconds.

Ninja Tools. Neji has great tools, with an auto-sub, bombs, and boosters. Utilize the auto-sub wisely though, since if used early on, will be a detriment when you're on the losing end of a battle.

Awakening. Neji can activate Byakugan mode very early (after losing one life bar, not two or one and a half like most) and can re-activate it just as fast. It increases his attack and speed, but your opponent still moves the same.

Weaknesses:
Speed. Since Neji's attacks are so fast in hand movement, it doesn't take a skilled player to substitute on him often. Mashing the L2 or R2 button will most likely get you an easy counter against him.

Combo animation. Neji is very quick to start any combo (possibly the fastest to start a combo) and can usually cancel it just as fast. However, he thrusts in a forward animation, and once you get to the fourth O input, you're locked into it, leaving wide open.

Kaiten. This great move can be blocked and substituted against. No matter how long you charge it for, if your opponent subs, then it stops. And you are wide open for an attack. No questions about it, this attack leaves you in the worst state if missed.

Traps. Neji is easily susceptible to traps. Especially Sakura's Booby Trap. Since he has the auto-sub option, many opponents who use Sakura as a support will summon her during their combo, in hopes that you sub right behind and get caught in it.

Supports:
Neji utilizes long range Supports like Shino and Sasuke much better than any other Supports. He needs a long range attack to help reach a long range opponent and Shino's jutsu helps greatly. Conversely, Sasuke's fireballs help decipher when you're opponent will substitute, so you chakra dash in for a quick combo to Kaiten.

Bad supports. Well, it's tough to say. He doesn't mesh well with many for the strategic player.

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Orochimaru:
Orochimaru is the king of combos that keep you far away from him. He's fast, powerful, and hard to see when he chakra dashes, or goes in for an ultimate.

Strengths:
His Forward OOOOO Combos and Basic OOOOO combos are highly effective, since he's summoning snakes and attacking you from mid to long range. His attacks with snakes usually do minimum of 4 hits, and end with a knockback blow. One of his combos end with him facing away from you and throwing his snake hands behind him to keep you even further away. If they substitute, you're facing them, and can easily substitute away.

Orochimaru's Blade Dance. Im the middle of a good combo, include a Blade Dance, because it's damage is high. It's very easy to finish an opponent and not realize how much damage you do. It's rare for Orochimaru to reach his Storm Gauge, since he's already finished you off.

Throw/Grab. His throw is amazing once connected and can be linked to an air combo. It does heavy damage as well, and *... it looks cool.

Ultimate Jutsu. It mimics his chakra dance, and can make your opponent think you're just coming after them for a normal combo, making them ill prepared.

Weaknesses:
Orochimaru's Blade Dance is also a curse. Once he's locked into that animation, well... good luck if you're substituted against. You're wide open.

Ninja Tools. There's nothing of use really in his *nal, minus the sleep tag. It's a cheap but effective attack, however, your opponents Supports may have them covered.

Air combo. While it's good for damage once it connects, it's horrible to pull off since he's slow to getting into the air. Most opponents would have already recovered by the time he dashes up.

Supports:
Ironically, he's great with Kimmimaro and Kabuto's feather illusion. You'll often catch you're opponent sleeping since they'll substitute against you, but since you're attacking so far away, Kabuto won't get hit once they do.

Bad supports include Kisame's Shark Bomb, since it's easily dodged and distracting, because you can't see your opponent between your snakes and his Shark. Gai's Dynamic Entry is also pretty bad, since it's a knockback and fast. It stops you're flow.

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Rock Lee:
Rock Lee is pretty much everyone's favorite to use in this game. He's fast, effective, amazing to look at, and just downright fun to play. But he has his disadvantages.

Strengths:
Rock Lee is great for all around combos. His OOOO>OOO combo is great and creates an intense knockback. His OOOO^OOO is also fast, and is heavy on damage against lower tiered opponents. His basic OOOOOO combo is good against slow opponents, since his nunchaku attack is faster than his regular.

Speed. Rock Lee's speed is key against long range fighters. Since they tend to keep you far away, dash in quickly and combo. Most Long range users are locked in an animation, and are wide open for an explosion of youth.

Supports. Using Long Range Supports fit in perfectly with Lee. Ones like Sasuke's Housenka no Jutsu, Kisame's Shark Bomb, Naruto's Kage Shuriken provide perfect distractions since you can use them from far, then dash in. The opponent usually dodges a long ranged support, which gives you the perfect opportunity to attack.

Primary Lotus. Rock Lee's only mid to long range attack is effective and deadly. It's heavy damage and fast.

Ninja Tools. Rock Lee's tools look like they do nothing, but they are boosts to his stats, including speed and damage.

Weaknesses:
Rock Lee is weak against long range opponents and also fast ones, since you can lose track of their movements. Characters like Orochimaru, Kimmimaro, and The Third Hokage are hard to follow on Insane. Keep your distance with a Support then dash in.

Ninjutsu. Konoha Whirlwind. Unless you're opponent is slow on combos, this Whirlwind attack does minimal damage and is hard to connect with. It breaks your combo as well so use wisely.

Awakening. While his Gates Mode is hefty for damage, you're health is usually at risk to charge you're chakra. Against a skilled A.I or opponent, they'll attack you before you can pull it off.

Supports:
Great Supports were already mentioned.

Bad supports include any one shot close range attack.

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Sakura:
Sakura is one of those rare characters that your strategy will involve a bit of luck. She's of average speed, but fast enough to hit a good combo. Stick to closer ranges with her.

Strengths:
Chakra Control. Sakura has excellent chakra control. Possibly the best in the game. You can do near to 6 jutsus in one bar, and her Ultimate only uses 50% of a bar. This will help a lot with your luck and battles.

Traps. Strategically use Sakura. Her Booby Trap is clearly her best jutsu, as her other one looks nice, but its a choreographed straight forward motion. She has an explosive tag and stat decreases which should be used to stop a quick combo.

Luck. Often times Sakura will get stuck in a combo animation which generally will leave you wide open. However since she's sliding forward pretty fast, the A.I and your opponent will misjudge a combo and miss completely! Use this to call in a good support attack, because you'll probably still be stuck in the animation.

Strength. When Sakura hits a combo, she hits HARD. Much like her mentor Tsunade actually. She's faster and has a better reach than Tsunade as well. A well placed OOO>OO combo will send your opponent flying reminiscent of Godaime-sama herself (the 5th aka Tsunade)

Supports. Sakura can utilize almost anyone, including the worst of them all, Rock Lee. Since luck can be on your side, if your opponent misses their combo, any Support will hit their attack since they'll be next to you and not the opponent. Timing is key for a good Support.

Weaknesses:
Defense. Sakura is spotty with her substitutes, as she fairs much better in the air than on the ground. She also takes a lot of damage easily, which is probably why her awakening can be charged so quickly.

Ultimate Jutsu. Now I would have placed this as a strength, since it's a very fast motion and catches the opponent off guard. The only problem is if your opponent substitutes on you, then it's damage city, and Sakura will lose a lot of chakra with knockback attack. It's damage is about 1 and 1/4 of a health bar as well.

Supports. This is a double-edged sword. Supports can clog up the screen, and when your trying to combine your combos, you may end up sliding forward and away from your opponent. But your Support will be blocking your view at times, which leaves you unaware and open.

Supports:
See above

Bad Supports include Gaara, Shino, and Kankuro. They're set up is too long.

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Sasuke:
Sasuke is your all around go-to guy. Despite the mass amount of hate sent his way by fans, he's got the most in his *nal, and makes good use of any support. He is all ranges on his own, and does so effectively.

Strengths:
Sasuke's jutsu are a key deciding factor in victory. His Katons (Fireball jutsus) are great. The Goukakyu no Jutsu (Grand Fireball) does heavy damage on one shot. The Housenka no Jutsu (Phoenix Flower Jutsu) attacks three times making his hard for your opponent to counter all three. The Chidori is a lightning fast thrust that upon impact and when charged, does great damage.

Combos. Sasuke's combos vary in speed, and is one of the few characters that you can pause mid way through a combo, then start attacking again to keep your opponent from substituting often. His ^OOOO combo knocks you into the air for a longer time than most characters and sends you straight up, making your opponent easy pickins.

Supports. Sasuke, Naruto, and Sakura operate very well together, since Naruto and Sasuke can link together combos like no other, and keep your opponent in the air. Once a combo is almost finished, call in Sakura for a Booby Trap to do some extra damage. Sasuke can operate well with all supports, since he caters to every style.

Ultimate Jutsu. Sasuke has a good range with his jutsu, and he charges at you at a fast and confusing rate, sometimes flying off screen. His chidori does about one life bar of damage, which is decent for such a fast charge.

Awakening. Sasuke's attacks change as he now spit fireballs at you, and can fly. His recovery rate(X when combo'd) is alarming, and he even slows down in the air, making it hard for your opponent to just dash straight at you.

Weaknesses:
Defense. Sasuke has an average defense, but once his back is facing you, any heavy hitter or combo user can take full advantage of him. Only skilled and advanced players will be able to substitute away from this one. Usual counters for him are to just call in a good support to get your opponent away.

Chakra Control. Since his jutsus have good range and speed, Sasuke's jutsu take a good chunk out of his chakra gauge. However, his Ultimate Jutsu only needs about 65% of a full chakra bar to activate, so it's a good trade.

Traps. If it's one thing that's hard to get Sasuke to do, it's avoid traps. You're best strategy is to just stay far away until the trap is done. Many trap characters will catch you with bombs, tags, especially Shikamaru's Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Possesion) if you're not careful. Sasuke is more the offensive type, so he doesn't fair well against those excellent on defense.

Supports:
Pretty much anyone who isn't Rock Lee. Rock Lee's range is too small for Sasuke to create an effective attack.

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Shikamaru:
Shikamaru is a master's dream to use, and newcomers nightmare. He isn't combo effective, he's slow, and his melee attacks do little damage.

Strengths:
Kagemane no Jutsu (Shadow Possession) is a blessing in disguise. It's movement is slow and Shikamaru pauses before he does the technique. But, what it lacks in speed, it makes up for in damage, taking away 60% of one life bar. A quick OO Triangle O combo will connect quickly, as you'll often catch your opponent blocking, preparing for your next attack. If you substitute behind your opponent, it's easy pickins, especially for slower moving ones. Your opponents are caught much easier facing away from you.

Chakra Shuriken. Shikamaru's Chakra Shuriken is actually an exploding tag, and is great for stopping those speed demons in their tracks.

InoShikaCho. Shikamaru makes great use of his team, and rightfully so, he makes good use of support. Ino, Shino, Oro, Kimmimaro are great for setting up

Shikamaru's air combo, which ends with an exploding tag. Since his fists do little damage, Shikamaru makes good use of bombs and tags. Characters like Chouji push the opponent away from you, and if they happen to substitute behind him, you're behind them for a Shadow Possession.

Ninja Tools. Shikamaru makes the best use of his Rain Shuriken (The balloons in the sky). Be smart, and use what he has, because he has more tools than most. Don't throw your Rain Shuriken as an attack, plan ahead instead. When your opponent is coming at you, throw them as a decoy. The opponent will be more focused on attacking you than dodging them. Let them come to you and start attacking. Once those Shuriken explode, it pauses them and turns them facing away from you, meaning you can use Shadow Possession in the best way.

Defense. Shikamaru can take a good amount of punishment, but he can als dodge easier too. Remember, plan 3 steps ahead with Shikamaru and anticipate your opponents attack. You'll be substituting a lot more with him, since you're not rushing to combo the opponent back.

Weaknesses:
Chakra Control. Shikamaru can only do about 3 or 4 Chakra Shurikens before being worn out, and Shadow Possession takes a good chunk too. When knocked down, he'll lose more chakra than any other genin as well.

Ultimate Jutsu. Shikamaru's set up is throwing a regular shuriken, but not to hit your opponent, to land on the ground and explode around them (strategy). Unfortunately, this shuriken can be blocked, dashed away, or cancelled with shuriken.

Combos. Shikamaru's combos are slow, and easy to defend against, and his melee attacks cause little pain. His combos aren't long either, so even if you do catch an opponent, make sure it's an ^OOOOOO combo.

Supports:
Everyone. Pick anyone you want, and watch how your strategies change. Once you master his movelist and strengths, the possibilities are endless.

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Shino:
Shino is the epitome of a character that should rarely move on the battlefield unless absolutely necessary. He's more of a close combat person, but his ability to stay put in battle makes him that much more scary.

Strengths:
Strategy. Shino is so powerful in his attacks (yet slow) that any wasted movement could be detrimental to battle. Wait for the opponent to dash to you and time a perfect substitution, then combo away. His Up OOO combo is slow but deadly.

Ninja Tools. Shino makes great use of his tools. After any substitution you perform your opponent is left wide open. Throw one of three Exploding Tags for good measure. If your opponent loves running in head first, toss in a Poison Tag. He also has his own special one. Mimesis Insects. During this mode you become impervious to any projectile or projectile jutsu such as Housenka. High tiered jutsu like Rasengan and Chidori can't be deflected though.

Defense. Shino has amazing defense, and can substitute better than 90% of the roster. He can take a lot of combos, yet you'll always have room in between for a sub.

Basic Combos. Shino's basic OOOO combo can link into an Up OOO or >OOO combo. To get the most of him you want to hit heavy and hard. So I suggest the following.

Ultimate Jutsu. Your opponent will always summon a Support on the field so prepare for them. If you have to use a substitution, chances are your opponent will dash in. So instead, time your attack and start the Up OOO combo, since its a preset animation. It will hit any support and your opponent may sub, but the end of the animation will knock them in the air. Immediately charge your Ultimate, since it has a good a range. Your opponent will usually recover but land straight into it. Timing is key here, and if you're off, they will stand and block.

Weaknesses:
Speed. Shino isn't fast at all, so rarely dash into attack unless your Support creates an opening for you. Supports for Shino are either good distraction or knockbacks, so utilize them sparingly.

Jutsu. Shino's Ground Scamper and Insects in the Mist are slow and usually are easily avoidable. If you are to choose one, then Ground Scamper is a good bet since it follows the opponent for a short time. You'll hit it maybe the first 2 times, but good luck after that. The animations prior to the attack are long winded.

Perspective on the field. Since you shouldn't be dashing in every 5 seconds with Shino, your opponent will be moving around a lot, usually trying to guess your next move. It makes it hard to see where you are, so don't make a mistake and go for a jutsu. Shino's insects cover him, so your opponent can easily dash in and avoid them, and then combo you heavily.

Supports:
Shino makes good use of Hinata, Kiba, Naruto, Itachi, or anyone else who can hit heavily. Use these supports not as attack in a combo, but as retaliation once you're grounded from one. It'll keep them away and make them rethink another long combo.

Bad supports include Temari, Rock Lee, Neji, Gaara, or anyone else who's stationary in their attack. Shino needs someone who moves a little bit since he's mostly still.