So tell me now why you all cast aside the anime, like if it isn't cannon.

[Uchiha Ricardo]

I see anime ans manga as two different canons. One is an adaptation of the other. In the end the same Story is told Though.
I say they are different canons because of the filler woth utakata was kept in mind when naruto met the jinchrikis in the anime. This never happened in the manga.
So theres 'Naruto' in the anime version and the manga version.
Ppl accept the manga version more since it is the original. Similar to watching a movie that comes from a book such as the hunger games

 

[Zlatán]

I haven't watched the anime in a long time, last time was like October last year, so hoping the animation improved.

 

[AndreJNZ]

This thread is made of stupid. You, OP, are NOT knowledgeable enough to state as FACT that the Anime is the be all and end all of the NARUTO series.

Original Adaptation. Or Original Video Animation...

The Animators are free to make a product, such as said anime, to bleed out the money. By taking the SOURCE MATERIAL and developing something that can be brought cast to a Television Audience.
The studios can(and often will) change facts and the story line to fit the Original Adaptations' plot.

Thus; we can conclude that The Source Material is THE place to go to for hard facts about characters and the ORIGINAL PLOT.

And the Anime can be considered it's own Naruto universe apart from the Manga, because (as stated above) the Animation Studios can and will change the story to suit their pace and events that they have made. If the Author of the Manga had intended to add something, he would have. Just because the Studio added extra crap does not make it Canon at all.

So, to sum it up (TLDR)

The Anime follows it's own canon and the Manga is the Source Canon that the Anime must/should follow. Does not mean that the Manga is PURPOSELY made to be a storyboard for the Anime. That is freaking STUPID of you.