Naruto's power of the Nine - Tails would be a major factor. In the past, the Nine - Tails was feared and hunted. If Naruto shows up with the power under control, it could change how people view the beast. His chakra reserves, which are huge because of the Nine - Tails, could allow him to perform feats that were previously thought impossible in the past, like quickly rebuilding a village or fending off a large - scale invasion on his own.
Naruto himself is obviously very popular. People love to see how he uses his future knowledge in the past. Sasuke is also a favorite as fans are interested in how his relationship with Naruto might change in this new timeline. Kakashi is another popular one as he often plays an important role in guiding Naruto in the original story, and in the fanfiction, his role can be even more complex and interesting.
One interesting plotline could be Naruto using his future knowledge to prevent certain tragedies in the past. For example, he might stop the Uchiha massacre. Another could be him training his younger self more effectively, leading to a much stronger Naruto earlier on.
Naruto himself is obviously very popular as he is the main character who goes back in time. Sasuke is also popular as Naruto might try to change Sasuke's path in the past. Kakashi is another one, as he has a big role to play in Naruto's development.
Well, Naruto's character development can be quite different. In the normal story, he had to learn things the hard way through many battles and losses. But going back in time, he has the advantage of hindsight. He might become more of a mentor figure to his younger self. He could also be more confident in his abilities right from the start because he knows what he's capable of achieving in the future. He may also be more diplomatic in handling village politics as he's aware of the consequences of bad decisions from his own time. His relationships with his peers, like Sakura and Kakashi, could also change as he takes on a more proactive role in their interactions.
Another plotline could be Naruto influencing the relationships between characters. He could try to bring Sasuke back to the village much earlier in the timeline, preventing a lot of the pain and conflict that occurred between them. Or he could help his parents, Minato and Kushina, in ways that would change the future of the entire Hidden Leaf village.
One common plot twist is Naruto changing the fate of certain characters who died in the original story. For example, he might save someone like Jiraiya from his encounter with Pain. Another could be Naruto influencing the political situation in the Hidden Leaf much earlier, perhaps preventing the Uchiha massacre by getting to the root of the problem between the Uchiha and the village leadership. Also, he could change the way ninja training is conducted in the past, leading to a stronger Hidden Leaf in the present he left.
One interesting plot twist could be Naruto having the knowledge of future events and using it to prevent certain tragedies. For example, he might stop the Uchiha massacre by revealing the truth about Itachi's situation earlier. Another could be Naruto changing the way he approaches his training, leading to him achieving new forms of power much quicker.
His friends like Sakura and Shikamaru would be affected too. With Naruto's changes, their relationships with him and with each other could be very different. For example, if Naruto changes the course of events, Sakura might not be as fixated on Sasuke in the same way. And Shikamaru might find himself in different strategic situations due to Naruto's interference.
In the past, their relationship could be more complex. Kakashi might be suspicious of Naruto's sudden appearance and his knowledge from the future. Naruto would have to prove himself to Kakashi. However, as they work towards a common goal, like saving Konoha from a threat in the past, they would gradually build trust. Their relationship could also change in terms of how they interact with others in the past. For example, they would need to pretend to be normal villagers or ninjas from that time, and this new situation would impact how they relate to each other.