In spite of all this hatred, Naruto still perseveres. He dreams of becoming Hokage and does his best to become a valuable shinobi to the lead village. But being an overconfident and impatient child, Naruto struggles at using his full potential, which leads to him being underestimated by his classmates. We often see him sitting all by himself on a lonely swing outside the school. Naruto failed his genin exams multiple times, and he routinely makes trouble for the entire village. He eventually rises to become the hero and then the Hokage of the village, but some people were with him right from the start. In this article, we list the few people that were looking over Naruto from the beginning. Let’s jump in.
8. Hiruzen
At 8, we have the Third Hokage himself, Hiruzen. Hiruzen was tasked with taking care of Naruto by Minato and Kushina. He did what he could do best and gave Naruto his own little home and got him into the academy. We often see Hiruzen looking over Naruto from the shadows. Whether it’s about assigning special attention towards him from Iruka or about appearing out of nowhere to eat cooked fish with him. Hiruzen always made sure to stick around. Even if the Hokage’s schedule had him busy, he made sure to visit Naruto every once in a while and see how he was doing. It often seemed he was too embroiled with the Leaf’s inner politics with the elders and Danzo keeping him from carrying out his entire will. These people only looked at Naruto as a weapon to protect and keep for themselves. Danzo tried many times to tremble Hiruzen and acquire the seat of Hokage. He even commanded his unit to stay put and not help when Orochimaru attacked. Hiruzen tragically lost his life then, successfully taking down Lords First and Second before going down. Some people accuse him of not doing enough for Naruto, which is debatable at best, however, he stuck around as long as he was alive. That makes him worthy of a mention.
7. Hinata
Hinata found Naruto only accidentally. She was being bullied by a bunch of kids who called her the Byakugan Monster. She was being humiliated and beaten when Naruto showed up. In an attempt to save her from them, he tried to use Shadow Clone Jutsu, but since he wasn’t well versed with it, it didn’t work. Regardless, Naruto jumped on one of the bullies taking him down. He then walked Hinata to her home, and ever since then, Hinata has chased him around and been there even if Naruto didn’t know about it. She was shunned by her noble family and forced to keep away from Naruto, but even then, she found ways to chase him or keep her eyes on her whenever and wherever possible. She loved him and believed in him all the way until the very end.
6. Shikamaru and Choji
So these are two people, but we all know Shikamaru and Choji are a single unit. When every single parent asked their children to stay away from Naruto, Shikaku asked Shikamaru and Choji to do what they saw best. And so, Shikamaru and Choji stuck by Naruto when no other kid would even talk to him. They played with him, ate with him, and gave him two friends he could rely on even as a child. Growing up, they became even more important, with Shikamaru becoming his advisor and Choji working hard as one of the Hidden Leaf’s important Jonin. They were really two of his first few friends.
5. Kurama
Kurama, the Nine-Tailed Fox himself. He was sealed inside Naruto at his very birth. And so technically, Kurama has been with him from the very start. Yes, their relationship started off rocky. Kurama has a strong personality that mellows with time because of Naruto’s influence. However, in the beginning, Naruto wasn’t even aware of his existence. He only started becoming aware after being able to rapidly summon Kurama’s chakra on accident. It always happened whenever Naruto became furious about something. Kurama is portrayed as a very hateful spirit. This is because he was manipulated and sealed away by the shinobi, who used him merely as a weapon. And so naturally, he also hated Naruto at the start. But he still looked over him. He talks about how the village has treated him his entire life and thinks about how Naruto has grown over the years. They happen to build a great friendship during the War Arc with Naruto winning Kurama over, and so, one of the best friendships in the show begins. Read: Is Naruto or Kurama Dead in Boruto Chapter 55?
4. Minato
Next up, we have Minato. The fourth Hokage himself. Minato has been with and for Naruto even before it all began. He is the proud father of the boy who believed in him with every cell in his body. Minato saved Naruto from being killed off when Obito attacked. Later on, to save the village from disaster, he sealed Kurama’s chakra inside Naruto. He gets a stern punch from his own son when they first meet in his conscious. Naruto gets angry at Minato for not being around and indirectly putting him through so much. But Minato is quick to put a hand on his son’s head and remind him that he only did it because he fully believed in Naruto. After all, that’s what parents are supposed to do.
3. Kushina
And next is obviously, his mother, Kushina. When Kushina and Minato sacrificed their lives for Naruto and the village, Minato sealed some of their own chakras inside him along with the Nine-Tails’. So Kushina is also right in Naruto’s unconscious with Kurama. She gives him a helping hand while trying to control Kurama and tells him all about the time he was born and about the time they were killed. Kushina knew even before his birth that Naruto would one day be a great Hokage. When Minato asked her how she could possibly know that, her simple answer was: “Because I’m his mother.”
2. Teuchi
Who could possibly forget the Ramen Guy? Teuchi was one of the few who were kind to Naruto when he was an unknown orphan. He let him into his shop on a cold rainy day and offered him Ramen. This is where Naruto really developed his love for food. Teuchi can seem very strict about his food, often getting mad if his ramen seems to have been disrespected. But still, his warmth towards Naruto is pure and indisputable. He did something he didn’t have to do and went against what seemed the norm of the village, all to help a little boy feel a little better.
1. Iruka
And finally, we have Iruka. He lost both his parents during the Nine-Tails attack, and in spite of this, he never hated Naruto. In fact, he could relate to the devastating feeling of being completely alone. Hiruzen, the Third Hokage, even talks to Iruka about how similar he is to the little boy. So Iruka swears to look after Naruto and make sure he goes ahead even after all the trouble. He believes in Naruto when no one does. In one of the most iconic scenes of the show. We see Iruka stubbornly believe in Naruto when Mizuki tries to tell him otherwise. Iruka was the father figure Naruto never had. Read: Top Ten Naruto Arcs Ranked So these were the few people who were always there for Naruto, one way or another. Did we miss someone? Let us know in the comments.
