and I did like Sasuke at first, but then there was Kakashi.

Truer words have never been spoken. It's very hard to be into Sasuke when Kakashi is there pwning a hundred times harder.

I don't mind the getting clotheslined (that was right before he left Konoha, right?) so much as the dumb moves like leaving Konoha or going after the eight-tails that it doesn't look like he's going to face the consequences of.