Konoha is full of powerful and notable shinobi, and the most skilled can rise to the rank of Hokage. There are many ninja in Naruto who want to carry this legacy, but only a few earn the right to call themselves by the prestigious title.
As a child, Naruto hoped to become the Hokage. He saw that the Hokage was acknowledged as the greatest ninja within the village of Konoha and respected by the community. Every Hokage is expected to embody a certain set of values and morals, and only a few can measure up.
9 Kiba Didn’t Have The Skill To Be Hokage
Kiba’s desire to become Hokage may have been written in as a joke. He was given a brief stint as Hokage within the Infinite Tsukuyomi, where he set a law that everyone in Konoha had to get a dog.
He was very close with his animal partner, Akamaru, and, fittingly, his jutsu mostly center around their own animal-like power. Despite all of Kiba’s skills, he wasn’t anywhere near as powerful as Naruto or Sasuke, and didn’t stand a chance of becoming Hokage over his classmates.
8 Dan Died Before He Could Achieve His Dream
While not much is known about Dan’s skill, he became a famous ninja during his short life. He was incredibly close to Tsunade. The two bonded over the loss of a younger sibling and both advocated for a medical ninja to be put on every team.
Tsunade gave Dan her grandfather’s necklace for luck, but shortly after, Dan died during the events of the Second Shinobi World War. Tsunade was unable to stop his bleeding, and he, along with his dream, died in her arms.
7 Kushina Turned Her Focus To Her Duty As Jinchuriki
As a child, Kushina expressed interest in becoming Hokage, but as she grew older, she shifted her focus to her duties as jinchuriki of the Nine-Tails. Kushina was known for her fiery temper, and as an Uzumaki, she had an incredible life force and special chakra properties. Her abilities allowed her to survive an attack that would have killed anyone else.
Like Naruto, her status as jinchuriki likely increased her chakra reserves. Instead of becoming Hokage, Kushina married the love of her life and together they had a son. When she learned of Naruto’s interest in becoming Hokage, she expressed joy that her son was carrying her original dream forward.
6 Fugaku Was Ignored Because Of His Clan
Fugaku was said to match Minato, the Fourth Hokage, in terms of skill. He rose to a prominent position within his own clan, who were insulted when Fugaku wasn’t considered for the position of Fourth Hokage. For decades, the Uchiha clan had always been disliked and distrusted, and after Fugaku was overlooked for the position, his clan plotted a rebellion against the village.
5 Obito Was Turned Against His Village
As a child, Obito boasted about his desire to become Hokage, but his dream was shattered after he was seriously injured on a mission. His village believed he died, but he had actually been rescued by Madara.
Madara warped Obito, turning him against the village he had once loved. Obito trained under the legendary Madara, mastering his Sharingan and learning numerous powerful jutsu. As a member of the Akatsuki, he became a major threat to Konoha instead of its leader.
4 Danzo Was Killed By Sasuke For His Past Crimes
Danzo grew up alongside the Third Hokage, and he was desperate to gain the power and the title that was given to Hiruzen. While Hiruzen was Hokage, Danzo formed Root and used the organization to give himself greater control of the village.
While working with Orochimaru, Danzo gained the power of the Sharingan. Orochimaru embedded the First Hokage’s power and several Sharingan into Danzo’s arms, and Danzo also stole one of Shisui’s Sharingan, making him a formidable threat. Just when he was primed to take over the Hokage role, though, Sasuke ended Danzo’s life.
3 Orochimaru Was Overlooked Because Of His Inhuman Experiments
Orochimaru was one of the legendary Sannin. Having been trained by the Third Hokage, Orochimaru could have been a suitable successor. Unfortunately, Hiruzen realized the ninja was performing inhuman experiments on others.
Orochimaru was a gifted genius from a young age. As he grew, the ninja began to study others in an effort to gain immortality. Orochimaru used the acquired knowledge to modify various people’s bodies, and his own body modifications ensured personal survival.
2 Madara Refused To Live In Peace
Madara was raised in a time of war. Over time, he became the leader of the Uchiha Clan. When the Uchiha were offered a peace deal by the Senju Clan, the Uchiha accepted, but Madara and Hashirama disagreed about the future of Konoha.
When Hashirama became the First Hokage, Madara began to believe that Konoha would fail and worried for the future of his clan. No one listened to Madara’s warnings. Feeling betrayed, he left and eventually took his revenge on the entire village.
1 Sasuke Realized He Wasn’t The Right Person For The Job
Sasuke was a gifted genius among the Uchiha clan. He trained and studied hard. Originally, he wanted to live up to his older brother’s example, but after the massacre of his entire clan, he only desired revenge.
After unlocking Susanoo, gaining the Eternal Mangekyo Sharingan, and receiving one of the Rinnegan, he became one of the strongest shinobi in the world. He expressed a desire to become Hokage and reshape the world in his own image. After Naruto managed to defeat him, though, he agreed to fight alongside him instead.
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