I don't know why you guys say that fictional characters don't inspire you as they are inspired from real life anyway.
Well, for me it goes like this:
1. Pein/Nagato/Yahiko
I take them as a whole. The most impressive arc for me was the Pein arc. Why? Because I can relate it to the world nowadays in so many ways and his questions are still somewhere in the back of my mind even now. He was right in almost all he said. I mean, look even now... War still goes on in real life (look at Israel, Syria), everyone is in so much pain just because we cannot stop this circle of hatred.
2. Jiraya
Because I might be a fool, but I still search and still believe that one day will come a day when we will all live peacefully. I always keep asking myself why so much hate and pure malice, when it's clearly going to no good. On the contrary.
3. Sakura
Because in a world where it teaches you to become more like a robot, not showing your feelings, where you have to be a machinery, she is showing her emotion and is a true character with flaws, with both goods and bads.
4. Itachi Uchiha
Because even though he knew that he will be considered an outcast and people will judge him, he sacrificed himself with the cost of his life for his own brother. Rarely we see such a bond in real life as people tend to become more and more self-centered.
5. The Third Hokage/Tsunade
Because they both teach us that when you have something important to protect, you get stronger, no matter how weak you are considered. You discover you posses a strenght you didn't even imagine you had, maybe. That the future is important and worth fight for.
Well, these are my inpirational characters from which, personally, I've learnt a lot.
