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Kakashi is one of the most popular characters in the Naruto series and was the leader of Team 7 as well. Ever since the completion of the series, fans have been wondering if there are any other candidates who could have been a great fit for the role of Team 7’s leader.
In this article, we will explore characters, dead or alive, and how they could have impacted the team’s overall development. These characters are not necessarily better than Kakashi, but they certainly bring a lot to the table in terms of how they can mould and shape the team involving Naruto, Sasuke, and Sakura.
10 Naruto characters who would have been great team leaders for Team 7 include Jiraiya, Itachi, and more
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1) Jiraiya
Jiraiya is no doubt one of the best teachers in the Naruto series. He played a big role in Naruto’s growth and taught him a jutsu that would become the foundation for some of the strongest jutsus fans witnessed in the series, the Rasengan.
Jiraiya not only taught him important techniques, but one would also argue that he was a father figure in the protagonist’s life. Jiraiya’s knowledge and battle experience would make him an excellent fit for the role of Team 7’s leader.
2) Minato
If Minato was alive, he would have been one of the best and ideal teachers for Team 7. He was extremely kind and paid attention to every single student, and tried to offer the best support that he could in the respective field. Having one of the best analytical minds in the series, his approach to missions would have been far better than the average team leader.
While it doesn’t make sense to compare the leaders since each and every shinobi brings something to the table, Minato’s knowledge about space-time jutsu would have been perfect for someone like Sasuke who unlocked the Rinnegan towards the end of Shippuden.
3) Hashirama
While Hashirama wouldn’t necessarily be a better team leader than Kakashi, he is certainly considered to be a smart shinobi. Hashirama’s temper and ability to analyze situations would have been pretty insightful.
Given that Hashirama’s wife was the first ever Nine-Tails Jinchuriki and a member of the Uzumaki clan, he would have taught the protagonist numerous sealing techniques and given him some detailed insight about his lineage and reason for having a powerful life force. Hashirama could have certainly helped him in the earlier stages with respect to taming the Nine-Tails Beast as well.
4) Tobirama
There’s no doubt that Tobirama would have been one of the best teachers and team leaders for Team 7. Keeping aside temper and his feelings towards the Uchiha clan, the sheer technical knowledge that he could bring to the table would be extremely valuable.
He is the one that created the Shadow Clone jutsu, Edo Tensei, and Flying Raijin. This shinobi is one of the most innovative and powerful characters in the series and certainly impacted the shinobi world using the techniques that he invented.
5) Itachi
If the circumstances were different and Itachi was in a position to become a team leader, there is no reason why he wouldn’t be one of the best. He is a prodigy and had Hokage level knowledge at a very young age. He also became the Anbu captain at the age of 13, making him one of the most gifted shinobis.
However, one of the biggest reasons why he is a complete shinobi is his ability to assess situations and make decisions on the fly. Itachi’s advice on how to approach a mission and the overall training that he can give on some of the most advanced jutsus would make him a great fit for the role of the team leader for Team 7.
6) Tsunade
Tsunade is yet another great candidate for this role. While her area of specialization might not be ninjutsu, she certainly has a few tricks up her sleeve when it comes to combat. Seeing how she improved Sakura’s raw strength, this could have certainly helped both Naruto and Sasuke as well.
Extensive training in chakra control paired with understanding some advanced jutsus would have given them a huge boost in terms of their overall combat abilities. Under her tutelage, Sakura’s medical ninjutsu skills would have been even better since Tsunade would have more time to focus on Sakura.
7) Might Guy
When it comes to technical knowledge, Might Guy might not be the best candidate on this list, but there are numerous ways he could have helped the team. Sasuke’s state of mind during the earlier stages of the series wasn’t the best, and Guy’s ability to motivate and train his students could have helped him.
Might Guy’s training would have improved the entire team’s taijutsu to another level and their overall endurance would have been much better as well. Naruto would have been far more motivated since he loved training, and Guy’s enthusiasm would have been perfect for someone like him.
8) Hiruzen
While we don’t know much about Hiruzen in his prime, he certainly had a ton of knowledge that would be extremely valuable for Team 7. He knew a ton of forbidden jutsus and sealing techniques which could have helped the team as a whole.
Being a descendant of the Sarutobi clan, his willpower is quite high and that would have naturally translated to his students as well. While Naruto wasn’t necessarily lacking in that department, it would have had a positive effect overall.
9) Orochimaru
If we can ignore the morality aspect and assess Orochimaru based on the sheer knowledge he has, he would have been a great teacher.
If Orochimaru was a good guy in the earlier parts of the series, his knowledge on medicine and advanced jutsus would have been extremely useful for the entire team. Orochimaru also had access to sealing techniques which could have helped Team 7 in various missions.
10) Asuma
While Asuma might not have had a ton of technical knowledge, he did one thing that every teacher must do. He knew his students to a good extent and always knew the right thing to say.
Shikamaru, Ino, and Choji’s morale was never low under Asuma’s leadership. He often cheered Choji on and motivated him to put in the work. Asuma would have been a great team leader for Team 7 and would have played a big role in the team’s overall development.
