The Hidden Leaf in Naruto‘s Land of Fire has produced many fine and talented shinobi of high intelligence and impressive skill. That being said, there are also many teaching methods used that might raise eyebrows due to the fact they push boundaries, raise questions of child endangerment, or seem outright ineffective.
Granted, the story takes place in another world and the Hidden Leaf is on the cusp of war throughout, all the while being in charge of raising and training the next generation of ninjas as thoroughly and succinctly as possible. However, this doesn’t change the fact that many modern viewers would have a thing or two to say about certain training techniques.
8 Kakashi Just Tells Naruto To Perform A Technique
Naruto and Sasuke’s rivalry is an integral component of their relationship, and Naruto often defines his progress by using Sasuke himself as a measuring stick. When Sasuke reappears during the Chunin Exams’ final stage (having learned Kakashi’s advanced Chidori Jutsu), Naruto asks his sensei to teach him the same after Orochimaru and the Sound Village threat have been nullified. In a display that shows how Kakashi and Sasuke likely comprehend new jutsu, Kakashi gives a bare-bones explanation to Naruto, which basically tells him to hold out his hand and concentrate. Since Jiraiya has already established that Naruto has problems with hyperactivity and focus in school, requiring specific ways to learn new techniques, this unsurprisingly fails.
7 Starvation Works Wonders Apparently
Team 7 fails the first part of Kakashi’s bell test since they don’t understand the need to work together. Sasuke has a superior attitude, Naruto wants to do everything by himself, and Sakura is too worried about Sasuke to be focused. Kakashi then gives Team 7 one more chance to prove themselves to him: do not feed a tied-up Naruto while they take their lunch break.
Of course, the secret lesson is still teamwork, the idea being that they will disobey him for their teammate’s well-being, which Sasuke and Sakura do. However, pedantic as it seems, pretending to mandate not feeding a child while food is waved in front of him seems a bit cruel.
6 Sakura Did Not Flourish Under The Hands-Off Approach
Thank goodness for Tsunade Senju, because otherwise, Sakura wouldn’t have had any kind of one-on-one instruction that aimed at truly improving her skills, giving her a specialty. While Sasuke received the bulk of Kakashi’s special instruction for some time due to necessity and Naruto was able to fill some gaps with Jiraiya’s teaching before the time skip, Sakura seems to have been left to her own devices after grasping the basics. While Kakashi acknowledges her potential in genjutsu and chakra control, no follow-up is made regarding her skills under his tutelage. It’s only through being mentored by Tsunade that Sakura comes into her own as a combat medic ninja.
5 Might Guy’s Method Is An Exercise In Extremes
Might Guy’s teaching technique emphasizes repetition and determination above all else. These lessons are exemplified by training regimens with high-intensity penalties to ensure the ninjas are forever improving themselves without being easily discouraged. While theoretically a good teaching method with proven success, such as Rock Lee’s desire to be a strong shinobi with only taijutsu, it has its flaws. Not knowing when to quit can contribute to more damage, as shown by Lee trying to keep fighting with Gaara during the Chunin Exams, even while he’s unconscious. Even Tsunade must give Lee a lesson in moderation when he wants to attempt multiple stairs by himself too soon after his surgery.
4 Jiraiya Likes The Sexy Jutsu Too Much
While an entertaining, heroic mentor, Jiraiya also exhibits perverted characteristics that wouldn’t fly nowadays. In addition to spying on women as “research” for his Icha Icha series, Jiraiya is easily swayed by Naruto’s Sexy Jutsu. The technique involves the latter temporarily turning himself into a physically attractive and nude woman, and it manages to grab Jiraiya’s attention every time. Jiraiya is meant to be teaching Naruto (and he manages to do so), but still makes inappropriate detours, accompanied by a kid. Add in that kid Naruto offers to do the Sexy Jutsu in exchange for more of Jiraiya’s instruction at one point and it all becomes somewhat uncomfortable.
3 One Thousand Years Of Death Is All Wrong For Obvious Reasons
While it seems like a big and powerful jutsu, the technique merely involves creating a forceful enough wedgie that sends the opponent shooting off to escape the discomfort. While it evokes a schoolyard prank that kids would play on each other, it does raise some questions about sexual harassment, even if it does end up teaching ninjas to mind their surroundings and be on guard. Additionally, one has to wonder at the ethics of an adult teacher regularly using this tactic on one of their young students, regardless of whether it is supposed to be a funny learning experience.
2 Jiraiya Sends Naruto Hurtling Into A Chasm
Ninjas often utilize sink-or-swim methods, the purpose being to cause enough desperation that their students will figure out the lesson being taught. Jiraiya’s attempt to get Naruto to draw on the Nine-Tailed Fox’s power is one such example. While Naruto continues to work on the Toad Summoning Technique, he exhausts easily and can only call a small one. Knowing of Kurama’s extraordinary power inside Naruto and wanting him to harness it, Jiraiya throws an unconscious Naruto off a cliff to try and spark results. Luckily, Naruto subconsciously communicates with the Fox and triumphantly uses its power to call Gamabunta to break their fall.
1 Orochimaru Experiments On His Students And Find Them Disposable
Orochimaru is known for his amoral scientific experiments with humans and jutsu. He’s also a surprisingly good teacher, and those who learn from him benefit from strength and ability increases. However, the trade-off is infinitely dangerous and definitely not worth it.
While Orochimaru trains students in unique and strengthening forms, it’s also accepted that he’ll conduct experiments on them, physically manipulating and augmenting their bodies for his own purposes. There’s already an inherent risk to this, but Orochimaru regards his students as disposable and will willingly sacrifice them for his own benefit. Entering into this nauseating partnership implies consent to this treatment.
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